Jury out in Trial of Alexander Bede Walsh, Ex-Catholic Priest Charged with Sexual Abuse

Huffington Post
February 6, 2012

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/06/jury-out-for-priest-alexander-bede-walsh_n_1256740.html


A jury has retired to consider its verdicts on a priest accused of using his "revered and trusted" status in the community to sexually abuse young boys.

Alexander Bede Walsh, 58, denies abusing eight boys while working at Roman Catholic establishments in Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Coventry between 1975 and 1994.

A 10-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that Walsh was arrested and interviewed in 2006 after two men contacted the police to claim they had been abused in Coventry when they were children.

Further complainants, who the prosecution allege were subjected to "serial, predatory" abuse, came forward between 2008 and 2011.

Walsh, of Church Lane, Abbots Bromley, near Rugeley, Staffordshire, denies a total of 26 charges, including allegations of indecency and indecent assault.

The clergyman, who was ordained in 1979, told his trial that he had never sexually abused or inappropriately touched any of the alleged victims.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Robert Price, Walsh said he thought he was the victim in the case and the complainants were motivated by the idea of compensation.