Woman denies lying over priest abuse claims

NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

Thursday, 27 September 2012

A woman who claims she was sexually abused by a priest when she was a child has said she “felt sorry” for him at one stage.

The 40-year-old told Belfast Crown Court that before she reported her alleged abuser to police in September 2010 “I felt sorry for Father Donnelly”.

Catholic priest Peter Donnelly (69) denies six counts of indecent assault and one of gross indecency alleged to have occurred between July 31, 1983, and August 1, 1987, when his alleged victim was aged between 10 and 14 years old.

Donnelly, from Drumaroad Hill in Castlewellan, was curate at St Matthew’s Church in Belfast’s Bryson Street at the time.

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