Kerala: Catholic organizations protest against delay in nun rape case
What's the story
Members of catholic organizations protested in Kochi today against the delay in the arrest of Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was accused of rape by a nun. Earlier this year, a nun from a convent in Kottayam accused the Bishop of raping her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. After the complaint, a Special Investigative Team was formed to investigate the matter. Here's more.
The Case
Backstory: What actually happened?
A nun from Kerala accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her several times in the course of 2 years i.e. between 2014 and 2016. Following her complaint, three other nuns also accused the Bishop of sexual harassment. They claimed that Mulakkal misused his position and approached them with malicious intentions. He inappropriately touched and forcefully hugged other nuns, said one of the complainants.
Twitter Post
Here are the visuals of the protest
Kerala: Nuns in Kochi sit in protest demanding the arrest of Bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mulakkal, accused of allegedly raping a nun. The protest, underway at High Court Junction bus station in the city, has been called by
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2018
Joint Christian Council. pic.twitter.com/HaTbicQVNE
Developments
What has been done yet?
As per the initial reports, the SIT looking into the matter has planned to issue summons to the Bishop to appear before them. However, it is not been confirmed yet. The rape-accused Bishop has not issued any statements over the complaints filed against him. Notably, the protesting nuns alleged that the victim had been denied justice by the police, church and the government.
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She has been wronged by police, and church
"We are fighting for our sister. She has been denied justice by the Church, government and the police," a protesting nun said. "Seventy-four days have passed since the complaint. The police recorded her statements several times. But the accused bishop was interrogated only once," she further added.