The Roman Catholic bishop of Northampton appeared in court on charges of raping a minor

A 70-year-old Roman Catholic bishop from Northampton appeared via video link before Westminster Magistrates' Court on charges of raping a girl under the age of 16. The case was transferred to the Central Criminal Court in London, and the next court hearing is scheduled for September 10. Orthodoxia.info reports this via .

The incidents that led to the charges date back to the early 2000s, when the defendant, who was over 40 years old at the time, was serving as a Catholic priest. The victim, who was 15 years old at the time, alleges that she was sexually assaulted during a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Criminal proceedings were initiated in June following the completion of an investigation by a special police task force dedicated to investigating serious sexual offenses.

It is worth noting that the bishop was initially detained in September of last year and has since been suspended from his public duties. At this stage of the legal proceedings, he has been released on bail under the condition that he refrain from any contact with the victim and her family. The defendant has not yet entered a plea.

Representatives of the Diocese of Northampton confirmed that the investigation concerns the protection of minors but declined to comment further due to the ongoing proceedings. To ensure the smooth functioning of the church administration, the Vatican appointed the Archbishop of Westminster as the interim apostolic administrator of the diocese in June.