A retired Catholic priest is on trial in Perth accused of repeatedly molesting a young girl decades ago, after requesting that she give him "back scratches".
Richard Doyle, 85, is facing six charges of unlawfully and indecently dealing with the girl at her family's home, in Perth's western suburbs, between 1979 and 1982 when she was aged six to 10.
Prosecutor Mimi Yeung told the District Court that while the alleged abuse occurred "very frequently", Mr Doyle had been charged with only six offences because the complainant, who is now in her late 40s, remembered those occasions in particular.
Priest visited victim's home regularly, court hears
The court heard Mr Doyle came to know the complainant's family when they were living in the Wheatbelt and after they moved to Perth, he started visiting their home on a regular basis.
Ms Yeung said Mr Doyle would ask for "back scratches" from the girl, which initially started with him leaving his clothing on.
However, she said they progressed to him taking off his shirt and singlet and lying down on the floor or a bed while the girl scratched him, before he molested her.
The court was told the girl's mother was in another room at the time.
Ms Yeung said it was the state's case Mr Doyle had a sexual interest in the pre-pubescent girl.
"He was willing to act on it ... notwithstanding (he had) the trust of the family and his vows and vocations as a priest."
Defence lawyer describes claims as 'unbelievable'
Mr Doyle's barrister, Seamus Rafferty, said it was his client's case that "he has never engaged in that kind of conduct", and the alleged abuse "did not occur."
Mr Rafferty said it was not in dispute that Mr Doyle, who retired as a priest in 2006, had contact with the girl and her family, but he said at the time they were struggling and it was to provide support to them.
Mr Rafferty submitted that a critical issue at the trial will be the credibility of the complainant.
He said her allegations were only raised after she was reading something about George Pell and then did an internet search on his client and discovered he had been acquitted of charges in 2007.
That information included a news article from 2012 relating to his trial, which referred to "back scratching" and Mr Rafferty said after that, the complainant "adopted allegations" that had been made by someone else.
"In 2017 in an email ... she wrote a summary of the complaint against Richard Doyle," Mr Rafferty said.
"What is referred to in that, is providing back massages; that is two completely different acts.
"... back massages then changed back scratches."
Mr Rafferty also described some of the allegations as "unbelievable", particularly the claim that in the late 1970s and early 1980s a Catholic priest would be "lying half naked on a bed in a family's small house."
The trial, before a Judge sitting without a jury, is expected to run for several days.
