David Oakley, the 70-year-old Bishop of Northampton, is seeking to dismiss charges of indecent assault and two counts of rape. The allegations stem from incidents involving a girl who was 15 years old at the time, occurring in the early 2000s. Oakley, who was in his mid-40s and serving as a Catholic priest during the period of the alleged offenses, appeared at the Old Bailey.
According to court documents, the alleged offenses include Oakley kissing the victim during a pilgrimage to Lourdes, a significant Catholic pilgrimage site in southwestern France. The bishop is also accused of raping the girl in a presbytery and on a canal boat. Prosecutor Sarah Madden previously stated in Westminster Magistrates' Court that the defendant and the girl "started dating… after going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes." She further noted that the victim "recalls sex with the defendant on at least two occasions."
The charges were filed in June following an investigation by Staffordshire Police's rape and serious sexual offenses team. Oakley was arrested by police in September 2025. He retains his title as Bishop of Northampton but has withdrawn from public ministry. Oakley, born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, was ordained as a priest in 1980 and became Bishop of Northampton in 2020.
Oakley appeared in court on September 10, 2026, and was released on conditional bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 4.