Swimming coach Derry O’Rourke found guilty of raping teenage girl

Derry O’Rourke already has a number of convictions for abusing schoolgirls and was jailed for 12 years in 1998
Frank Greaney
Frank Greaney

16.00 18 Jul 2024


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Swimming coach Derry O’Rourke...

Swimming coach Derry O’Rourke found guilty of raping teenage girl

Frank Greaney
Frank Greaney

16.00 18 Jul 2024


Share this article


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

The now 78-year-old already has a number of convictions for abusing schoolgirls.

Back in 1998, Derry O’Rourke was jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing young girls from 1976 to 1992.

Seven years later, he received a concurrent 10-year sentence for abusing another young swimmer he coached on various dates in the 1970s.

He was released from prison in 2007 and earlier this month he went on trial for abusing another teenage girl, again through his role as a swimming coach.

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

O'Rourke denied the allegations, claiming he had no recollection of training her.

After deliberating for five-and-a-half hours, all 12 jurors found him guilty of the rape charge and they also convicted him on eleven counts of indecent assault.

The survivor, who wishes to retain her anonymity, will provide a Victim Impact Statement to the court at his sentence hearing later this month.

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

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Derry O’Rourke Guilty Irish Olympic Swimming Coach Rape. Teenage Girl