Swimming coach Derry O’Rourke found guilty of raping a teenager

Former Irish Olympic swimming coach Derry O’Rourke was found guilty of raping a young girl sometime between October 1989 and June 1990.

The 78-year-old has already been convicted several times for the abuse of schoolgirls.

In 1998, Derry O’Rourke was sentenced to twelve years in prison for sexually abusing young girls from 1976 to 1992.

Seven years later, he was simultaneously sentenced to ten years in prison for abusing another young swimmer whom he had coached several times in the 1970s.

He was released from prison in 2007 and earlier this month he stood trial for abusing another teenager, again in his capacity as a swim coach.

She was between 13 and 14 years old at the time.

O’Rourke denied the allegations and claimed he had no memory of training her.

After deliberating for five and a half hours, all twelve jurors found him guilty of rape and also convicted him of eleven counts of indecent assault.

The survivor, who wishes to remain anonymous, will present a victim impact statement to the court at sentencing later this month.

Main image: The Criminal Courts of Justice, building in Parkgate Street, Dublin. Image: noel bennett / Alamy