NORTHAMPTON (UNITED KINGDOM)
The Telegraph [London, England]
August 13, 2026
David Oakley, 70, appears in court accused of offences against teenager in early 2000s
The Bishop of Northampton has appeared in court over allegations that he raped a teenage girl after they went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
The Rt Rev David Oakley, 70, is accused of twice having sex with the girl, who was 15 at the time, in the early 2000s when he was in his mid-40s and working as a Catholic priest.
The bishop was charged in June with two counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16, following an investigation by Staffordshire Police’s rape and serious sexual offences team.
He appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court on Thursday via video link from his lawyer’s office to face the charges for the first time.
Sarah Madden, prosecuting, told the court that the incidents involving the girl began “after going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes”.
“She recalls sex with the defendant on at least two occasions,” Ms Madden said.
Lourdes, in south-west France, attracts throngs of pilgrims to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes every year.
Withdrawn from ministry
Bishop Oakley was born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and ordained as a priest in 1980.
He became Bishop of Northampton in 2020 and is currently withdrawn from public ministry, having been arrested by police in September last year.
During the court hearing, he was not asked to enter pleas as Judge Paul Goldspring, the Chief Magistrate, sent the case to the Old Bailey.
“Given the profile of the case and the former employment of the defendant, this ought to go to the Central Criminal Court,” said the judge.
He released the accused on bail, with conditions not to contact the alleged victim or her family. A plea hearing will take place on Sept 10.
After news broke of the criminal charges, the Catholic Diocese of Northampton said the bishop had been charged after an investigation into “non-recent safeguarding allegations”.
It added: “We understand that this will be very distressing for all concerned but cannot comment further on an active legal process.”