Mumbai: Two years after his arrest, charges have been framed against a Bombay archdiocesan priest for allegedly abusing a teenage parishioner.
The court framed the charges against Father Lawrence Johnson under section 377 (unnatural sexual offences) of the Indian Penal Code and sections under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The court has fixed March 10 for the hearing. The 52-year-old priest allegedly abused the teenage boy in Shivaji Nagar parish.
According to the prosecution, the boy visited the parish church on November 27, 2015, with his brother. After prayers, the priest called the boy inside to keep a box, closed the door from inside and sexually assaulted him, it said.
The prosecution’s statement to the magistrate said the child had said he had a similar incident in August 2015. It said the boy was examined on December 1, 2015, and medical evidence showed injuries to his private parts. The case was registered with the Shivaji Nagar police station, reports The Times of India on March 2.
Last year, the special POCSO court rejected the priest’s bail plea. The defense said the priest was dedicated to the church for 15 years. It said he used to allow concessions for students in school fees and this was afforded to the victim and his siblings for some years. The case was filed after the concession was refused.
The Archdiocese of Bombay had appointed a three-member committee to conduct an internal investigation. Its spokesperson Father Nigel Barrett said the archdiocese has submitted the probe report to the Vatican to decide the allegation merits any action. “I am not privy to the outcome of the inquiry,” he added.
Meanwhile Father Johnson is receiving legal aid from the archdiocese’s Conference of the Diocesan Priests as part of his “right to defense.”
According to the newspaper the case will test how the Catholic Church handles such sensitive matters. Punishment could range from censure to suspension or dismissal from priesthood, it adds.
“The common practice in such cases is that we await the court verdict before taking a decision. We do not want to be seen as influencing the legal process,” Father Barrett explained.
Meanwhile, Fr John Almeida, who has replaced Father John as parish priest, said the boy’s family had left the locality. “We are trying to win back the community’s confidence. The parish is split over the incident and we are careful not to take sides,” he added.