Raped nun for 2 years in the name of Jesus, disgraced ‘Bishop’ Franco Mulakkal is still on the run

The case surfaced two years ago when a 43-year-old nun, also a mother superior, had complained to the police in Kottayam in central Kerala and accused him of sexual assault on the night of May 5, 2014. She said she was raped multiple times thereafter till September 23, 2016. The bishop had been charged with rape, wrongful confinement, unnatural offence and criminal intimidation but was granted bail in 2018.

The Trial court had issued a warning to the senior clergy of arrest and cancellation of bail after he failed to appear for the court proceedings for the 13th time on July 1, 2020 and had set a final date of appearance before court for July 13, 2020. However, the Christian padre did not turn up for the hearing yet again today.

The counsel representing Bishop Franco Mulakkal claimed that his client was stuck in a coronavirus containment zone in Punjab. But the special prosecutor deposed before the court that the Jalandhar Civil Lines, where the senior clergy lives, is not listed as a containment zone.

Admitting the argument of the prosecution, the court cancelled the bail of Bishop Franco Mulakkal and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

The nun said she had to approach the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints.

Earlier, huge protests had broken out in Kerala demanding the arrest of the clergyman. Other nuns had also joined the protests to show solidarity with the survivor.

The survivor and other nuns living in the same hostel had even repeatedly complained of intimidation and pressure from church authorities. They claimed the church was trying to separate them from the survivor.

A nun had also been dismissed months after she had appeared in a protest. She was accused of violating church rules like appearing on television and social media, buying a car, making monitory transactions by publishing a book and violating dress code. The nun, however, alleged that she was dismissed because she took part in protests to support the nun who raise allegations against the Bishop.

The Church congregation had also stood by the rape accused and referred to him as an “innocent soul”. Furthermore, Kerala MLA PC George had also called the alleged rape victim a ‘prostitute’.