An Irish missionary priest in the Philippines, who is the subject of an allegation that he raped a seven-year-old girl, says he is being framed by a paedophile ring.
Father Shay Cullen, who has campaigned for many years against the child sex trade, is facing a prosecutor's inquiry in Olongapo city near Manila after a complaint was filed by a retired US Air Force officer living in the Philippines.
The Dublin-born priest said the allegation was part of a plot to stop his campaign against child sex abuse in the country.
Yesterday he blamed a group of paedophiles he has targeted for making the allegations.
Father Cullen told RTE Radio: "None of these cases has ever gone to the magistrates here. Anybody can make a complaint and they write a letter and they give it to the office of complaints and that's what they call a charge.
"This does not mean this is a charge before any magistrate or court. Usually these are thrown out at the first stage of investigation because there is no evidence or because they are a frame-up. It happens here daily."
The complaint was made by Mr Alan Dale Edmonds, who claimed his daughter was raped after she had been taken in last February by the centre Father Cullen runs in Olongapo city.
