Donegal priest denies charges of raping teenage parishioner

A Donegal priest has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the rape of a teenage parishioner over 20 years…

A Donegal priest has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the rape of a teenage parishioner over 20 years ago whom he told he wanted to experience sex in bed.

The 48-year-old accused has denied three charges of raping the girl on dates in 1985 and one charge of indecently assaulting her in 1984.

Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, has told the jury the complainant would say the priest offered to drive her home from their church in December 1984 and took a route to a pier. He leaned over to her seat, reclined it, lay on top of her and kissed her, telling her not to say anything to anyone about what happened.

Mr Vaughan Buckley said the woman would also tell how in 1985, she was alone with him in the sacristy and said she had to go to the toilet. He walked in and raped her. She was 13 or 13½ at the time.

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Mr Vaughan Buckley said on another occasion the woman came late for confession with a friend and the priest said he would hear their confessions in the sacristy.

He first heard her friend's confession and when the complainant came in he said, "what am I going to do with you?" before groping her and then raping her.

Mr Vaughan Buckley said the third rape charge related to a date between April 1st and May 30th, 1985, when the accused sent her a message saying he wanted to see her at the parochial house.

She told her family she was going out to babysit but instead went to the priest's house. He took her upstairs into a bedroom and raped her. Mr Vaughan Buckley said the woman would tell the jury the accused then said to her he wanted to experience sex in a bed.

The hearing continues.