Courts / Dublin / Report

Jury to deliberate in trial of teacher accused of historical abuse

Date
2020-03-13

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin City

County
Dublin

Summary

The jury has retired from the trial of Patrick Harte, a 78‑year‑old retired Dublin school teacher, who is accused of fondling school boys at the Sancta Maria Christian Brothers on Synge Street between September 1968 and September 1970. Harte faces 11 counts of indecent assault involving seven complainants, all of whom were around ten years old at the time. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The prosecution, led by Anne Rowland SC, presented testimony that Harte allegedly called boys to the top of the class and then fondled them, including placing his hand down a boy's trousers while sitting on his knee. A complainant, now in his 60s, recounted a similar incident and noted prior physical assault by Harte. Harte denied the allegations, arguing that the classroom's busy environment and the presence of other teachers and inspectors would have made such actions unlikely.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury to deliberate in trial of teacher accused of historical abuse. Charges or matters: all the charges. Procedural stage: trial

When:

September 1968 Incident
September 1970 Incident
2020-03-13 Publication

Why: Judge Martin Nolan told the jury that this was a historical sexual abuse case and that such trials came with their own problems because people's memory of events dim over time and this can make it harder to defend allegations. CNI source report