A woman who alleges she was sexually abused by a catholic priest in Nigeria has told the High Court she was first abused while in hospital at the age of 13.
Dolores Atwood has begun giving evidence in a defamation case taken by former archbishop Richard Burke who claims he was wrongly branded as a paedophile in an RTE television programme.
Ms Atwood said she first met Mr Burke when as a schoolgirl and had gone to her local church to have her rosary beads blessed.
She said she began meeting him after mass on Sundays and they would talk about the church and her family.
She said he would give her hugs at that time and she found it comforting as she had no emotional support at home.
Her parents had divorced and she had problems with her stepmother.
She said she was admitted to hospital in 1983 with typhoid fever and then priest Mr Burke came to visit her.
While he was in her room there was a power cut and when the lights went out he kissed her and touched her inappropriately.
She said when the lights went back on he had returned to his position and was trying to make eye contact with her.
She did not see him for two weeks after that and he told her he had been away. She said the next time they met he hugged and kissed her.
Legal argument continued in the case this afternoon and the jury was asked to return tomorrow when Ms Atwood will resume her evidence.
Mr Burke denied the claims made in the 2011 RTÉ documentary 'A Mission To Prey'.
He said Ms Atwood was 20 years old when they first had sex. He also claims she was 17 or 18 when they first met and there were no previous sexual contact.
He told the court he had sexual relationships with several other people while he was a bishop in Nigeria. He resigned his position in 2010.
