Kerela court acquits Nun rape case accused

In a recent development, the Additional District and Sessional Court I in Kottayam acquitted Bishop Franco Mulakkal, a former head of Latin Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, of all the charges including illegal confinement, sexual harassment through abuse of power, unnatural sex, rape, outranging the modesty of women.

Before the judgment, the police had increased the security of the court premises, taking into consideration possible crises in law and order following up the judgment. After the judgment, the Bishop hailed, “Praise the Lord”, in front of the media. He also broke down and embraced his lawyer and the judge strike the gavel in his favor.

This case was the result of an FIR filed at the Kuravilangad police station in 2018, a senior nun belonging to the order of the Missionaries of Jesus of the Catholic Church, accused Franco Mulakkal, the then bishop of the Jalandhar diocese of the Church, of raping her and subjecting her to unnatural sex 13 times between 2014 and 2016 at the Mission convent in Kuravilangad.

The bishop had alleged that all the charges were fabricated. The FIR also invited a protest that was staged by the group of nuns close to the victim, outside the Kerela High Court in Kochi. The bishop even appealed in the Supreme court, but his appeals were refused to be entertained.

The case verdict that came after a 105-long day trial, became the first time a Catholic Bishop was bought in the purview of the court on the charges of rape and sexual harassment, bringing to light the horrors of nuns within the closed doors of the church.

Updated by Preet Joshi