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Stourbridge-Born Bishop Facing Charges Charges He Kissed and Raped Girl, 15
David Oakley, 70, is accused of indecent assault and two rapes after Staffordshire Police investigated the case, and he is seeking to have the charges dismissed.
- On Thursday, Bishop David Oakley appeared at the Old Bailey in London, where his legal team filed an application to dismiss charges of rape and indecent assault against him.
- Prosecutors allege that Oakley, then a Catholic priest in his mid-40s, kissed a 15-year-old girl during a pilgrimage to Lourdes and raped her in a presbytery and canal boat in the early 2000s.
- Last month, prosecutor Sarah Madden told Westminster Magistrates Court that the defendant and the girl "started dating… after going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes," noting she recalls sex on at least two occasions.
- While currently on conditional bail, Oakley has withdrawn from public ministry; Judge Trowler provisionally set the dismissal hearing for January 4, 2027, at the Old Bailey.
- Pope Leo appointed Archbishop Richard Moth as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Northampton to manage governance, while the diocese stated the proceedings are "very distressing for all concerned.
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Catholic bishop accused of assaulting teen near Marian holy site and raping her begs for charges to be dropped
A Catholic bishop accused of raping a teen near a Marian holy site has begged for charges to be dropped. The Bishop of Northampton, David Oakley, attended the Old Bailey on Friday in a bid to have criminal charges against him thrown out.The 70-year-old clergyman faces one count of indecent assault and two charges of rape relating to a girl who was 15 at the time of the alleged offences.The accusations date back to the early 2000s, when Oakley wa…
·London, United Kingdom
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David Oakley, Bishop of Northampton, was charged in June with indecent assault and two counts of rape against a girl, who was 15 at the time
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left0Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Center
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
70% Center
C 70%
R 30%
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