Donegal priest found guilty of raping 13-year-old
A 48-year-old Donegal priest has been found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of twice raping a teenage parishioner in the church sacristy over 20 years ago.
Father Daniel Doherty, Derriscleigh, Carrigart, Donegal, was remanded on continuing bail for sentence on October 23.
Mr Justice Philip O’Sullivan also certified him to be registered as a sex offender under the legislation and directed the preparation of a victim impact report.
The jury took just over five and a half hours to find him guilty by 11-1 and 10-2 majority verdicts respectively, on two charges of raping the then 13-year-old girl in the sacristy on dates in 1985.
The jury found him not guilty on a third charge of raping her in the parochial house in 1985 but guilty by an 11-1 majority of indecently assaulting her on that occasion. He was also found guilty by an 11-1 majority of indecently assaulting her in his car on a date in December 1984.
Doherty had denied all the charges during his seven-day trial and gave evidence to the jury in his defence.
He was remanded on bail on condition that he reside at the address given, sign on weekly at a named garda station, surrender his passport and not leave the State without informing the gardaí.
Mr Justice O’Sullivan exempted the jury from further service for five years and told the seven men and five women they had displayed "remarkable attention and care" to the case during the hearing.
The woman told Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC (with Mr Sean Guerin BL), prosecuting, on day two of the trial, that she first made her allegations formally in a letter to the bishop in 2003. That led to the Garda investigation and to the trial.
She told how Doherty stopped his car at a pier while driving her home one night in December 1984 and then climbed on top of her, kissing her and touching her body.
She described how in 1985 he raped her for the first time in the toilet at the sacristy. She said she thought she was going to the church for a reading rehearsal but found him working on the amplification.
She wanted to use the toilet and planned to go to an outside facility but Doherty said she should use the toilet in the sacristy and then came in when she was there. She stood up against the wall on her right with her back to it and he raped her there.
The woman told Mr Vaughan Buckley that she also told her friend about this incident and they agreed that in future they would always go together to the church.
She said the second rape happened when she and her friend were late for confession and Doherty said he would hear theirs in the sacristy. When her friend was finished and left the sacristy he said to her: "What am I going to do for you?"
She backed against a wall where he pulled down her trousers and kissed her while telling her he was "very excited". She was becoming frightened while he repeated he was "very excited" and raped her. She had a bath at home and never mentioned a word to anyone about what happened.
She told how she met Doherty in the parochial house, where she said he had a booklet that she later learned was a family planning advice publication.
He asked her about her periods and when she had the last one. She couldn’t give a definite answer and she went home. Her sister and friend advised her not to go back near Doherty again on her own.
Some time later, he sent for her again and she went to the parochial house. Her friends were all going to a social function that night but she told them and her family she was going to babysit for a neighbour.
She said that on this occasion, Doherty took her upstairs to his bedroom and told her he wanted to experience sex in a bed.
Mr Vaughan Buckley told Mr Justice O’Sullivan that the victim had no objection to Doherty being named in media reports, though it might lead to her being identified.
