At a court hearing yesterday, Bishop David Oakley of Northampton sought the dismissal of rape charges. A new court hearing has been scheduled for January.
The prelate has been charged with two counts of rape of a girl under 16; the rapes allegedly took place in the early 2000s, when the prelate was a parish priest. Last month, Bishop Oakley was released on bail on condition that he does not contact the alleged victim or her family.