Vincent Mercer

Fr. Vincent Mercer (born 1947 in Co. Kerry) is a convicted paedophile.

2003 case

In March 2003, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment after pleading guilty at Naas District Court to four counts of indecent assault on a 13-year-old boy.

2005 case

He was convicted in March 2005 of 13 sample charges of indecently assaulting eight boys aged 10–13 on various dates between 1970 and 1977. He received a three-year suspended sentence at Naas Circuit Criminal Court.[1]

Evidence in court described how Mercer subjected his victims to a "reign of terror"; he engendered an atmosphere of gross intimidation. The court heard that his modus operandi was to visit young boarding school students late at night when the lights were off. He would sit down on his victim’s bed and fondle them under the bedclothes.

Mercer apologised for his actions and said he deeply regretted and was truly sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims. He also apologised to the young men's families and admitted he had "betrayed" the faith of his own colleagues. Six of the offences with which he was charged occurred while the victims were alone. Two cases occurred when two of the boys were on summer camp from their primary school in County Cork. One victim stated he had been told as a boy that his father would lose his job if he told anybody about Mercer's attacks.

2012/13

In November 2012 Mercer was arrested again on 39 charges of sexually assaulting a juvenile between 1 January 1986 and 22 February 1994, he was remanded on a bond of €2,500 and instructed to sign on twice weekly at Kilkenny Garda Station. On 10 January 2013 Inspector Mary King applied to have him returned for trial by judge and jury to the next sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court on 4 February 2013 and Judge Con O’Leary granted the application. On 4 February Mercer pleaded guilty to 15 sample charges out of 39 and Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin remanded him for sentence on 22 February 2013. On 22 February Mercer was sentenced to three years with the final 18 months suspended and his name was put on the sex offenders' register for ten years. The court heard the abuse began with Mercer touching the boy’s genitals outside his clothing and escalated to Mercer fondling the boy's genitals inside his clothing and went on to masturbation and oral sex.

References

  1. ↑ Priest sentenced for 'reign of terror' over his young victims — Irish Independent article, 2 March 2005

See also

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