Courts / Ireland / Report

Retired religious seeks to halt sex abuse trial

Summary

A retired member of a Catholic religious order, now in his eighties, has applied to the High Court for an order to halt his pending trial on four child sexual abuse charges dating from 1966 to 1969. The allegations, made by a secondary school student who was a minor at the time, claim that the accused assaulted her in an Abbey room, at a Convent while she was bringing communion, and once more near the convent, as well as a Christmas‑time incident where he allegedly pushed her against a wall. The accused denies all allegations and argues that the delay between the alleged offences and the charges—spanning more than 50 years—has deprived him of a fair trial. He also cites age‑related dementia and cognitive impairment that would impair his ability to defend himself. Represented by Hugh Hartnett SC, he has initiated judicial review proceedings against the Director of Public Prosecutions, alleging inordinate prosecutorial delay.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Retired religious seeks to halt sex abuse trial. Charges or matters: the offence in December 2020. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• December 2020 Incident
• 1966 and 1969 Incident
• Christmas Incident
• 2021-06-14 Publication

Why: He also claims that he will suffer prejudice because he has aged-related dementia and cognitive impairment that has affected his memory. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report