IRELAND
Irish Independent

Friday November 16 2012

AN ELDERLY priest has been charged with sexually assaulting a teen over an eight-year period two decades ago.

Fr Vincent Mercer (66) of Black Abbey, Kilkenny, was remanded on bail after being charged before Cork District Court with a total of 39 counts of sexual assault.

Fr Mercer faces 39 charges of sexual assault against a juvenile at various locations in Cork and Limerick between January 1, 1986 and February 22, 1994.

The juvenile was aged between 11 and 17 over this period.