Priest's Trial for Sex Abuse at County School Collapses

Galway Bay FM
May 16, 2013

http://www.galwaybayfm.ie/index.php/news/item/1270-priest-s-trial-for-sex-abuse-at-county-school-collapses

The trial of a priest charged with the sexual abuse of two brothers in a Co.Galway school in the 1970's collapsed today at Galway Circuit Criminal Court.

The priest had denied ten charges of sexual assault which were alleged to have occurred in 1970 and 1971 in the school.

Archbishop of Tuam, Dr. Michael Neary, a witness for the prosecution, gave evidence today on the third day of the trial.

The Archbishop confirmed he had made a statement to Gardai on January 19, 2006 in which he stated that at some time between August and September, 1995 he had been informed that one of the alleged victims had made an allegation of abuse against a priest, claiming he had been sexually abused by him between 1969 and 1974.

He said the alleged victim called to see himself in the Bishop's Palace in Tuam on September 4,1995 to discuss the matter but had declined to name the priest involved.

The man eventually named his alleged abuser in May, 1996, to another priest appointed by the Archbishop to investigate the complaint.

The man made a complaint to Gardai in 2006 and when his older brother was interviewed by Gardai in relation to that, he too claimed to have been abused by the same priest.

Following lengthy legal argument today, Judge Rory McCabe directed the jury to find the accused not guilty on all charges and he walked free from court.