Bishop who raped nuns in Church of Kerala still runs free, protestors claim ‘no justice for us as we belong to a minority’

Bishop Franco Mulakkal was accused of raping a nun between 2014 and 2016. In her police complaint in 2018, the nun said that she was subjected to sexually assaulted by the 56-year-old Bishop several times.

In February 2020, another nun from Kerala accused Bishop Franco of sexual harassment, including sending her lewd messages. The second nun, too, belongs to the Missionaries of Jesus, the same congregation as the first nun who accused Bishop Franco of raping her.

The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation Team after huge protests by nuns across Kerala, Punjab, has been charged under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (2k) (rape on a woman incapable of giving consent), 376 (2n) (causing grievous bodily harm during rape), 376 (c) (a) 377 (unnatural offence) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

In September 2018, days before police arrested Mulakkal, the Vatican removed him from the diocese’s administrative responsibilities by appointing an apostolic administrator. Mulakkal, however, continues to hold the title of bishop of Jalandhar and resides in the bishop’s house.

Franco Mulakkal’s petition to discharge the case was cancelled by Chief Justice SA Bobde, yet the man has been roaming free and running Churches despite being alleged of such heinous crime.

The Kerala police last month also arrested the Indian Catholic Forum general secretary Kennedy Karimpinkalay for allegedly threatening the nun and five others who stood with her in the rape case against former bishop of Jalandhar Franco Mulakkal.

The nuns and other members of the missionary have also claimed that justice is not being served because they belong to a minority community and that the Bishop has high contacts amongst top authorities of the state.