Priest Prayed for Forgiveness While Raping Girl, Court Told

By Stephanie Dalzell
ABC News
April 19, 2018

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-19/priest-prayed-for-forgiveness-during-alleged-rape/9676294

An Anglican priest prayed to God for forgiveness while he allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl in a church, the ACT Supreme Court has heard.

The 67-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is on trial for 18 charges of rape and acts of indecency allegedly committed against the girl in the 1980s, which started when she was 13.

The former priest has pleaded not guilty.

The alleged victim, who is now 44, broke down in tears as she gave a graphic account of the alleged sexual assault.

She alleged he first raped her in a Canberra church after she had finished violin practice.

The woman said she had chosen to play in the church because she was working on a difficult Bach piece and wanted to surprise her mother with the completed concerto.

When she finished, she heard the priest clapping in the back pew, the court heard.

He then asked her about her dog Lily, who had recently been run over by a car.

"He said if you think about Lily hard … God might let you see her again," she told the court.

"It made sense to me. I wasn't quite sure if I believed it … but I missed her terribly."

Priest spoke to girl's mother after 'assault'

The court heard the priest told her to pray hard for her dog and stare at the altar, before allegedly pulling her on to his lap.

She told the court he then said: "It's not like you haven't done this before" before raping her.

"I thought if I stayed really still it would be over soon," she told the court.

"So I stayed really still."

The court heard the priest muttered "please God forgive me" repeatedly during the alleged sexual assault.

The girl then walked outside of the church to greet her mother, who was waiting in a car outside.

The priest allegedly followed her, telling her mother her violin playing had not been very good and that she was "in a mood".