Woman claims priest performed oral sex on her on school premises

A WOMAN who claims she was sexually abused by a former priest and teacher at a secondary school in County Wexford told the High Court last week that he performed oral sex on her on a number of occasions. She also told how they met in his car on Christmas Eve and sexual activity took place.

The now 28-year-old woman is suing for damages alleging that she was repeatedly and wrongfully physically and sexually assaulted, falsely imprisoned and sexually abused and subjected to sexualised behaviour by the then Catholic priest and teacher in her secondary schoolt. She has sued the priest as well as the school and Bishop Denis Brennan. They have all denied the claims.

The school contends it is not vicariously liable for any alleged actions of the priest. The woman is also seeking aggravated damages against the former priest. The former priest has denied all claims.

The woman told the High Court the first time he performed oral sex on her they were both naked in bed in his house. The woman said they chatted and had tea before moving to the bedroom.

She said she was shocked afterwards and felt guilty.

On the fifth day of the case last week the woman said she was drunk on a trip abroad when the then priest performed oral sex on her in a house where other students were also staying.

Under cross examanination by counsel for the priest Miriam Reilly SC the woman, referring to the trip said she got sick on the bathroom floor becuase she had been drinking and the priest helped clean up after her.

As she lay on an air mattress the priest was using in the house, she alleged he performed oral sex on her.

She said the son of the host family was on the couch in the same room.

The woman also told how when she was either in Transition year or Fifth Year the priest drove her to the woods on Christmas Eve and performed oral sex on her.

Earlier, she said there had been panic in the priest’s house as his mother arrived at the house as they exchanged Christmas gifts. The former priest had given her a teddy for Christmas, she claims.

Asked why she could not remember whether it was when she was in Transition or Fifth Year at the time. the woman broke broke down in tears.

She disagreed with Counsel’s contention she had made up the story and said she knew it happened.

The woman also claims that the priest per- formed oral sex on her in the school. The 28-yearold woman said after the sexual activity the two of them got ready for a Mass. She said she was in Fifth Year at the school at the time and was wearing her school uniform.

Referring to the alleged encounter, Miriam Reilly SC, asked was it not very risky. The woman replied: ‘everything about this relationship was risky’.

The woman said it was the first time they had oral sex on the school premises.

The woman also claimed in the High Court that the priest performed oral sex on her while she was babysitting at two different houses.

Earlier in the week at the High Court under cross examination. the woman said that while on a school trip abroad she and another student were invited into the priest’s room to play board games. The priest was drinking vodka at the time. She said she fell asleep on his bed and when she woke up he was beside her. She said she and the other girl left the priest’s room at 6.00am.

Miriam Reilly SC put it to the woman the former priest would say there was no question of him slipping off with the two girls and messing in his room. She replied: ‘I disagree with that.’

The priest. she said, sat beside her on the trip home and told her a story of how he once came back to his house in aother diocese to find a housekeeper naked on a rug. She said she thought that story and another story where she alleged he said he had sex with a woman in a car in the Phoenix Park were ‘weird’.

She said she did not know if the stories were true or not and she did not tell anybody about them. Counsel put it to her the former priest will tell the court he said no such thing. The woman replied he told her the stories.

Earlier the woman said she had lived two lives, one in which she had good academic results and a good job and a second life where she could not tell anybody.

‘He was very well liked and regarded and everybody looked up to him,’ she said.

She said she did not feel in a position to tell her parents until 2010.

‘It was a big secret I carried around for years.’ she said.

Counsel put it to her the former priest will say there was no sexual relationship and that her crush on him turned obsessive. The woman replied: ‘I do not agree with that.’

The case is due to continue tomorrow ( Wednesday).