Even as the Additional District and Sessions Court I, Kottayam, is set to consider the discharge petition filed by Franco Mulakkal, a bishop accused of raping a nun , allegations of sexual abuse by another nun against the bishop surfaced here on Friday.
The nun, arraigned as 14th witness in the case, gave a statement to the investigation team on September 9, 2018 that she had also encountered sexual misbehaviour from the bishop.
As per her statement, the bishop had groped and kissed her on April 30, 2017 at a convent in Kannur.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sexual chat
This apart, the bishop also forced her into sexual chat during the 2015-2017 period.
“I had been in contact with the bishop over phone for official purposes since 2015. He used the opportunity for holding sex chats, which were disgusting for me,” she stated.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the nun, though she was not interested in the sex chat, she could not oppose the bishop for fear of expulsion from the Church.
New probe sought
The Save Our Sisters (SOS) forum, which has been in the forefront of a protest against the bishop, has demanded a fresh probe into the allegations.
“That the police did not initiate suo motu action following the nun’s deposition before the investigators appears strange. Besides launching a fresh probe, the police should also ensure that the victim, who belongs to the same diocese, is not intimidated or influenced by the accused,” read a statement issued by the SOS.
Police version
Police officers attributed the absence of an FIR to the obstinate position taken by the victim.
“Since the crime occurred in Kannur, we passed the information to the local police. Though the Kannur District Police Chief had approached her for registering a case, she was not interested in prosecution,” said a top police officer.