Cathedral chancellor Paul Overend cleared of indecently assaulting student

WALES
Wales Online

December 3, 2020

By Thomas Deacon

Paul Overend was accused of kissing the woman at a gathering at his home in 1997 but denied the allegation and denied ever meeting the complainant

A priest accused of indecently assaulting a student at a party has been acquitted by a jury.

Former Cardiff University chaplain and priest the Reverend Dr Paul Overend was accused of kissing the woman at a gathering at his home in 1997.

The 54-year-old denied the accusations and stood trial at Newport Crown Court.

After more than an hour and a half of deliberations on Thursday the jury of 12 delivered a not guilty verdict on one count of indecent assault.

The incident was alleged to have happened in 1997 at the chaplaincy in Park Place in Cardiff where he lived at the time.

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