Priest Denies Exorcism Attack

A GREEK Orthodox priest indecently assaulted a man in a suburban church minutes after he tried to rid him of evil “spells”, a court heard yesterday.

Father Dionysios Demetrie is accused of grabbing a 33-year-old man’s buttocks, touching his groin and kissing him.

Fr Demetrie, of Box Hill’s Church of the Holy Cross, pleaded not guilty to indecently and unlawfully assaulting the man, who came to him for help in dealing with his marriage break-up.

At Box Hill Magistrates’ Court yesterday the 56-year-old priest, of Burgundy St, Doncaster, denied any physical contact with the man other than an embrace.

A Doncaster man, who cannot be identified, told the court he had been “desperate for answers”.

The man alleged he went to the Hopetoun Pde church on June 17, 1994, where the priest read the exorcism prayers.

After the ritual the pair embraced. Fr Demetrie embraced him and pecked him repeatedly on the cheek.

“But then he pulled his head back and kissed me on the lips. Then he kissed me again and again on the lips and I felt his tongue on my lips,” the man said.

Fr Demetrie “tried to grab (his) groin” with an open hand, placed both hands on his buttocks and said “You want it, you want it”, the man said.

Fr Demetrie denied tongue-kissing or kissing the man on the cheek, or touching his groin but said he patted him on the backside.

The hearing is due to resume today.