KINGSTON (JAMAICA)
Loop News [Kingston, Jamaica]
October 23, 2023
A Roman Catholic priest appeared in the Family Court in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday charged with two counts of sexual offences.
The priest, a foreign national, was arraigned on two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault and appeared on camera before Magistrate, John Ballah, sitting in his capacity as deputy president of the Family Court.
Media reports here said that the cleric is alleged to have committed unlawful sex acts on a teenage female and was not called upon to plead to the indictable offences. He has been granted and was granted bail to appear before the Family Court, whose president would conduct a preliminary inquiry.
The court would then decide if there was enough evidence to send the matter to trial before a judge and a jury.
The priest left the court in the company of a senior member of the Diocese of Kingstown, who told CMC that he had no comments to make regarding the allegation against the priest.