Former Catholic priest Edward Evans found not guilty of molesting a young girl

AUSTRALIA
The Canberra Times

April 2, 2015

Henry Belot
Canberra Times Reporter

A jury has found former Catholic priest Father Edward Evans, 85, not guilty of molesting a young girl in the kitchen of his Braddon home in the 1990s.

The verdict was delivered before Justice Richard Refshauge on the seventh day of an ACT Supreme Court trial, with jurors deliberating for more than eight hours.

The prosecution alleged Father Edward Evans put his hands down the girl’s pants to grab her bottom multiple times, and digitally penetrated her in his home.

He was also alleged to have touched her breast as they sat alone in a car outside a southside shopping centre, before pulling her on top of him into a straddling position.

Father Evans, who plead not guilty to the charges, was in his 60s at the time.

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