The Gozitan priest accused of abusing three minors is Fr Jesmond Gauci, 38, of Xagħra.
He can be named after Magistrate Neville Camilleri yesterday lifted a blanket order issued on Tuesday by Magistrate Paul Coppini, who banned publication of the particulars of the accused and decreed that the sitting should be held behind closed doors.
Fr Gauci served as a religion teacher at a boys’ secondary school in Malta and, according to an Education Ministry spokesman, he has now been barred from entering classrooms until the court proceedings were over. The crimes the priest is accused of allegedly occurred in Gozo and were unrelated to his work at the school.
Magistrate Coppini’s ban, which followed a request made by defence lawyer Carmelo Galea, was criticised by both lawyers and the media.
On his way into court, Fr Gauci used a sheet of paper to hide his face from photographers waiting outside. At the end of the sitting, when the ban had been issued, he did not bother to cover his face again as he walked to a waiting car.
Subsequently, the police filed an application asking for the ban to be lifted on grounds that victims could not be identified even if his particulars were published.
Magistrate Camilleri upheld the request.
The Attorney General has also appealed the decision by Magistrate Coppini to grant bail to Fr Gauci. The matter is expected to be decided by Mr Justice Michael Mallia on Thursday.
Two former priests were imprisoned in November 2012 after they lost an appeal against abuse convictions. Godwin Scerri and Charles Pulis, formerly members of the Missionary Society of St Paul, were jailed for five and six years respectively for sexually abusing boys in their care at St Joseph Home, in Santa Venera.