IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
June 11, 2018
A former Northern Ireland priest has appeared in court accused of historical sex abuse.
Standing in the dock of Downpatrick Magistrates Court on Monday, June 11, 68-year-old Daniel John Curran confirmed his name and that he was aware of the charge against him.
Curran, from Bryansford Avenue in Newcastle, is accused of indecently assaulting a male on a date unknown between August 16, 1989 and August 18, 1991.
None of the evidence surrounding the 30-year-old charges was opened in court in the short Preliminary Enquiry, the legal step necessary to move a case to the higher Crown Court, but a prosecuting lawyer submitted that the crown papers and witness statements formed the basis of a Prima Facie case against him.
The court clerk told Curran that although not obliged to, he had the right to comment on the charge or call witnesses on his behalf but that anyone giving evidence was liable to cross examination.
Curran declined the opportunity however, telling the court clerk simply “no,” to each of the questions.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.