A young Gozitan priest was granted bail yesterday after being charged with defiling three minors, in a sitting that was held behind closed doors.

The 38-year-old priest, who cannot be identified by court order, entered the courthouse at 1.30pm at the Citadel in Gozo covering his face with a sheet of paper. As soon as he entered the courtroom his lawyer, Carmel Galea, made a request for the case to be heard in private.

The presiding Magistrate, Paul Coppini, upheld the request immediately and later also issued a ban on publication of the priest’s details.

However, when asked for a copy of this decree, the court did not release it.

Sources said the priest has been charged with defiling three young girls. It is understood the allegations relate to incidents that took place some years ago.

The priest emerged from the courthouse following the brief sitting, accompanied only by his lawyer.

This time, he walked past journalists, photographers and some tourists without covering his face, to reach a car waiting for him at a nearby car park.

This was the first arraignment of a cleric since two former priests were imprisoned in November 2012 after they lost their appeal against abuse convictions.

Godwin Scerri and Charles Pulis, formerly members of the Missionary Society of St Paul, were sentenced to five and six years in jail respectively for sexually abusing boys in their care at St Joseph Home in Sta Venera.

They had been charged with abusing 11 boys between the ages of 11 and 13, in the worst Maltese case of its kind. The abuse took place in the 1980s but only came to light in 2003.

Inspector Sylvana Briffa prosecuted in yesterday’s case.