A former nun and a male co-accused have denied twice raping a girl at a children's home while another child looked on. The nun also denied that she indecently assaulted the alleged victim and said she "couldn't believe it" when she first heard the allegations.
The male accused said the allegations were ridiculous and "absolute hearsay nonsense". He accused the alleged victim of making up stories to get money from the Sisters of Mercy.
The former nun, now 51, and the 50-year-old man both deny two charges of raping the now 21-year-old alleged victim and two charges of having unlawful carnal knowledge of her on dates from January 1st, 1987 to January 31st, 1990 in a childcare centre in the south of Ireland.
The former nun, who was in charge of the centre at the time, also denies two further charges of indecently assaulting the woman in the same period. The male accused told the Central Criminal Court he made a written statement to gardai admitting he had sex with the girl because he believed the truth would come out regardless of what he said.
He said he had never had any sexual relationship with the girl and was not given adequate treatment for his schizophrenia when making statements to gardai. Asked by Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Mr Patrick Marrinan BL), defending, why he had visited the home on a number of occasions, he said he wanted to trace his mother through documents in the centre, and became friends with the nun in charge.
Cross-examined by Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC (with Mr Fergal Foley BL), prosecuting, he said he had a few drinks on the morning of his arrest, and had some more just before the hearing.
Mr Justice Carney remanded him in custody during lunch break to stop him drinking. When the trial resumed at 2 p.m., the male accused said that he felt paranoid and confused during questioning by gardai in October 1996. He told Mr Vaughan Buckley he had made it up when he told gardai he had sex with the alleged victim on her 12th birthday. i suggested to him,. He added that during questioning, he had confused the alleged victim with another girl in the Sisters of Mercy home.
He denied telling gardai the alleged victim told him she found him attractive. He said he was raised in the children's home and returned for visits from time to time. He met the nun in charge, now his co-accused, and they went out dancing on one occasion.
In her evidence, the former nun told Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, that she did not have any sexual involvement with any of the children in the home. She said she started employment in the home in September 1974. It was run by the Sisters of Mercy and she took over management of the home in 1978.
She said the alleged victim was a disruptive child who hurt other children by making up stories about them.
Witness denied she had ever gone dancing with her co-accused.
Cross-examined by Mr Vaughan Buckley, she said she first met her co-accused in 1980 when he called to the children's home looking for records that would help him trace his mother.
Asked why he was allowed to stay over in the centre on occasions, she replied that the Sisters of Mercy welcomed all past pupils back to the centre. The hearing continues.