The Bishop of Northampton, David Oakley, appeared in court seeking to dismiss charges of indecent assault and two counts of rape against a girl who was 15 at the time of the alleged offenses in the early 2000s. Oakley, now 70, was in his mid-40s and working as a Catholic priest when the alleged incidents occurred.
According to court documents, the bishop is accused of kissing the victim during a pilgrimage to Lourdes and later raping her on two occasions at a presbytery and on a canal boat. The prosecutor, Sarah Madden, stated in Westminster Magistrates' Court that the defendant and the girl began dating after their pilgrimage to Lourdes. She recalled sex with the defendant on at least two occasions.
Oakley, ordained as a priest in 1980, was appointed Bishop of Northampton in 2020. He was arrested by police in September 2025 and subsequently charged in June following an investigation by Staffordshire Police's rape and serious sexual offences team. Although he retains his title as bishop, he has withdrawn from public ministry.
Oakley appeared at the Old Bailey on September 10, 2026, and was released on conditional bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 4.