Kochi, July 7 2019: A 40-year-old Christian priest was arrested on July 7 for allegedly sexually assaulting inmates of a boys’ home , police said.
The arrest of Father George, alias Jerry Thareparambil, for alleged sexual abuse of young children at a boys’ home in Kochi in Kerala’s Ernakulam district is another jolt to the Catholic Church in Kerala, which has already been rattled by many sexual assault allegations in the recent past.
The 40-year-old priest was arrested on July 7 following complaints from the parents of seven children. The children have been living in a boys’ home run by the Order of Discalced Carmelites in Perumbadam near Kochi. Fr George is the director of the home, which provides shelter and education for children from poor families.
According to the police, the seven children fled the home on Saturday night when Fr George attempted to sexually assault them. They later called their parents from a phone with the help of a person whom they met on a street Saturday night. The complainants alleged that the priest had been abusing the children for quite sometime.
The priest has been charged under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said. The accused has been remanded and sent to Mattancherry Sub Jail on July 7. All the children will be taken for medical examination later, the police said.
(source: Manorama)