NORTHERN IRELAND
UTV
A former curate of St Matthew’s Catholic Church in Belfast has been found not guilty of sexually abusing a young female parishioner in the 1980s.
The jury was sworn in at Belfast Crown Court to try Father Peter Donnelly, from Drumaroad Hill, Castlewellan for allegedly sexually abusing a girl in the parochial house of the church in east Belfast over a five year period.
Fr Donnelly, 71, was charged with six counts of indecently assaulting the girl and a further count of gross indecency with the girl.
He denied all the charges which were alleged to have taken place between 1983 and 1988.
Two previous juries in the case were unable to reach a verdict on the charges against Fr Donnelly.
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