Fr. Kevin Reynolds

Kevin Reynolds (born c. 1947) is an Irish Roman Catholic priest who was falsely accused of raping and impregnating a Kenyan teenager in a 2011 RTÉ documentary titled " Mission to Prey", broadcast on the ''Prime Time'' programme. The baseless allegations, made by journalist Aoife Kavanagh, triggered a major scandal in Ireland, leading to RTÉ’s apology, a libel settlement, and a government inquiry into the broadcaster’s editorial practices.

Early life and priesthood

Born around 1947 in County Galway, Ireland, Kevin Reynolds grew up in a rural community with strong Catholic traditions. He studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and was ordained a priest on 7 June 1971 for the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. Reynolds later joined the Kiltegan Fathers (St. Patrick’s Missionary Society), serving as a missionary in Kenya’s Diocese of Kakamega during the 1980s, focusing on education and pastoral care.

False allegations and RTÉ controversy

In May 2011, RTÉ’s Prime Time aired Mission to Prey, a documentary produced by journalist Aoife Kavanagh, which alleged that Reynolds, during his missionary work in Kenya, had raped a minor named Veneranda, impregnating her and fathering a child named Sheila. The programme claimed Reynolds had secretly provided financial support to Sheila for years, with Veneranda and Sheila appearing on air to support the allegations.

Reynolds, then serving as parish priest in Ahascragh, County Galway, had offered to undergo DNA testing to prove his innocence before the broadcast, but RTÉ declined. After the programme aired, Reynolds was suspended from his parish duties and faced significant public stigma. Subsequent independent DNA tests, conducted by both RTÉ and Reynolds’ legal team, confirmed he was not Sheila’s father, proving the allegations were entirely false.

The revelation of the false accusations sparked widespread outrage. RTÉ issued a public apology to Reynolds on 19 November 2011, and ''Prime Time Investigates'' was suspended. RTÉ’s Director-General, Noel Curran, described the broadcast as “one of the gravest editorial mistakes” in the broadcaster’s history. Prominent RTÉ figures, including Mike Murphy, John Bowman, and Sean O’Rourke, publicly condemned the libel. The Irish Missionary Union criticised RTÉ for retaining Kavanagh on its ''Morning Ireland'' programme, citing “double standards”.

In November 2011, Reynolds reached an undisclosed out-of-court libel settlement with RTÉ. His solicitor also requested that Justice Minister Alan Shatter, who had initially endorsed the documentary, publicly clarify Reynolds’ innocence, which Shatter did. The Irish government ordered an inquiry by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, which found RTÉ had breached broadcasting standards, leading to reforms in editorial oversight.

Reinstatement and legacy

Following the settlement, Reynolds was reinstated as parish priest in Ahascragh and resumed his ministry. His case became a prominent example of the dangers of false allegations and media sensationalism, particularly in the context of the Catholic Church’s abuse scandals. It also prompted discussions on journalistic ethics and the need for robust fact-checking, influencing Irish broadcasting regulations. As of 2025, Reynolds continues to serve as a priest in the Diocese of Galway.

See Also

* False allegation of child sexual abuse
* RTÉ
* Mission to Prey

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Kevin
2011 in case law
2011 in the Republic of Ireland
20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests
Defamation
Irish expatriates in Kenya
Irish Roman Catholic missionaries
21st-century Irish Roman Catholic priests
Living people
Media case law
Christian clergy from County Galway
Roman Catholic missionaries in Kenya
RTÉ controversies
Journalistic scandals
Fake news