Courts / Ireland / Report

Priest seeks to halt trial for sex abuse at fee-paying school

Summary

In February 2020 a High Court case was filed by an elderly former priest and teacher, aged in his eighties, who is charged with gross indecency and indecent assault against a male pupil at a private fee‑paying school in the mid‑1970s. He claims he cannot receive a fair trial because of age‑related dementia and cognitive impairment, which would prevent him from properly defending himself. The alleged abuse is said to have taken place after the complainant was called to the accused's office on three separate occasions. The priest was first complained to Gardai in late 2016, but was not required to attend a Garda station until April 2018. He has brought judicial review proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions, seeking orders and declarations, including an order preventing his trial from proceeding.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Priest seeks to halt trial for sex abuse at fee-paying school. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• April 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2020-02-10 Publication

Why: On Monday the man's lawyers argued before the High Court that he cannot get a fair trial because he suffers from age related dementia and cognitive impairment, which means he cannot properly defend himself at trial. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report