Priest Not Guilty of Indecent Assault

By George Jackson
Irish Times
June 28, 2012

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0628/1224318890590.html

A Catholic priest who is originally from Moville, Co Donegal, has been found not guilty at the crown court in Derry of five charges of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl 20 years ago.

Fr Eugene Boland (66), the parochial house, Killyclogher Road, Omagh, was found not guilty yesterday of the charges by majority verdicts. He had denied claims he had indecently assaulted the girl in the parochial house at St Joseph's parish in the Galliagh area of Derry between June 1990 and June 1992 when he was the then parish administrator.

The verdicts followed an eight-day trial before Judge Stephen Fowler and almost four hours of deliberation over two days by the jury. Following the verdicts, the complainant wept in court.

Through his solicitor Kevin McGuigan, Fr Boland told reporters the last three years had been a nightmare and he thanked the jurors for bringing that nightmare to an end.