The case is significant as it marks the first time an Indian Catholic Bishop was arrested and booked on charges of rape and sexual harassment in India.
Kottayam, Jan 14: An additional sessions court in Kottayam on Friday acquitted Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the sensational nun rape and assault case. Mulakkal had been the bishop of Jalandhar but had been divested of the administrative charges after the scandal emerged in 2018.
Franco Mulakkal was accused of raping a nun at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and subsequent sexual exploitations afterward for almost two years. The nun had alleged that Mulakkal had raped her 13 times. The nun had registered a formal complaint in June 2018 and has also claimed that despite her complaints, the church took no action on the bishop when complained in 2017.
#BREAKING : A Kerala Court ACQUITTED former Bishop, Franco Mulakkal, for repeatedly raping a nun.
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) January 14, 2022
IF He had been convicted, Mulakkal would have been the first catholic bishop to be convicted of rape in India.#bishopfranco #francomulakkal #nunrapecase pic.twitter.com/4PSvVGelvr
Even though the police registered a case, the bishop was not arrested. It was following days of protests by the survivor's fellow nuns and other prominent figures that Franco was arrested. Later, after seven months of delay, the police registered the first information report (FIR). Despite the threats ever since she took Franco to the court, the nun stood by her charges.
Also Read: SC rejects discharge plea by rape accused Bishop Mulakkal
The case is significant as it marks the first time an Indian Catholic Bishop was arrested and booked on charges of rape and sexual harassment in India. The trial commenced in 2020, and even though Mulakkal approached the High Court and the Supreme Court with a plea to quash the charges against him, the courts refused to entertain the plea.
Source: Newsbharati - bar bench
