Saturday, March 10, 2012

Nun faces 87 charges of sex abuse

A judge has ordered a special sitting of the Circuit Court to hear a case against a nun facing 87 charges relating to the alleged sex abuse of primary school girls.

The woman appeared at Sligo Circuit Court on last Tuesday in what is thought to be the first case of its kind in the State. 

Publication of her name has been banned.

Judge Rory McCabe listed the case for mention again on May 22.

Several of the nun's alleged victims were in court for the brief hearing.

They heard the barrister for the accused woman complain about the delay in the trial and that her client had been initially charged in January 2010.

However, barrister Dara Foynes, for the DPP, said a "voluminous" number of files had only been given to prosecution solicitor Hugh Sheridan last week after the case was transferred from another county.