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In the late 1970s, Maggie Montgomery, then 17 years old, experienced a sexual assault by Reverend Derek Poots, a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The incident occurred after a school production of *My Fair Lady* in 1978, when Rev Poots offered to drive Maggie home. During the journey, she alleges that he reached under her skirt and touched her inappropriately. At the time, Rev Poots was serving as the minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, a post he held from 1964 until 1990, although Maggie was not part of his congregation.
Following the event, Maggie confided in her sister-in-law and later her brother, who also became a Presbyterian minister, but did not report the incident to authorities because she feared disbelief from others. Maggie described feeling uncomfortable around Rev Poots and recalled trying to sit away from him in the car, only to be made to sit beside him. She recounted leaving the vehicle after forcibly removing his hand from her, but encountered disbelief from her family, including her mother.
Rev Poots’ career advanced despite the allegations, which remained unaddressed at the time. He later became the deputy clerk of the General Assembly, a leading position within the Church, and upon his retirement in 2002, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Union Theological College in Belfast. Professor Laurence Kirkpatrick, a faculty member at the college, revealed that he opposed granting the degree due to awareness of the allegations, but was outvoted and subsequently protested by not attending the ceremony. Rev Poots passed away in 2013.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has since acknowledged serious failings in safeguarding and handling abuse allegations. In November 2025, the head of the Church resigned after significant safeguarding lapses spanning from 2009 to 2022 were uncovered. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has opened a criminal investigation into these matters. The Church has expressed distress at the allegations and aims to encourage victims to come forward, emphasizing that safeguarding remains a priority despite gaps in historical record keeping. Maggie Montgomery has spoken publicly in the context of these developments, believing now to be the right time to share her story as the Church takes steps to address its past shortcomings
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