By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, October 27, 2019: The Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM) has criticized the Church for its inaction as the survivor nun in the Mulakkal case continues to face harassment and slander.
The ecumenical women’s group offered solidarity and support to the alleged victim of rape by Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar.
The ICWM “stands solidly, every step of the way, with the survivor nun in her quest for justice in the Franco Mulakkal case,” says a statement the group’s national team issued on October 25.
The bishop will stand trial from November 11 in the District Court of Kottayam, Kerala.
On October 19, the survivor nun had filed a complaint alleging that Malayalam YouTube channel Christian Times harassed her at the behest of Bishop Mulakkal.
The survivor also wrote to the Kerala State’s Women’s Commission, and the National Women’s Commission that she has been experiencing humiliation because of the slander campaign against her y Bishop Mulakkal and his followers.
“After filing the complaint against Bishop Franco, a YouTube channel called Christian Times has been constantly maligning me and my fellow sisters. We suspect that the channel is run by Bishop Franco and his fellow workers,” said the survivor’s letter.
The Christian women body says Bishop Mulakkal uses his rank within the Church hierarchy and his “obscene money power” as his trial date approaches to defame the victim, intimidate her and “tarnish her image in social media, especially through an internet channel called Christian Times.”
“We condemn this media trial when the actual trial in the case is imminent,” they demanded.
The group also said they regretted “the inaction of the Church” and demanded “immediate protection to the survivor nun and to the witnesses who live in constant fear of ridicule, slander, abuse and ostracization and pray for swift disciplinary action against Mulakkal and the channel Christian Times.”
The group also called on “all persons of integrity, men and women, to stand with the brave sister in her difficult struggle against the all-powerful and the unscrupulous.”
The women’s body noted that the survivor began her journey to expose her rapist a little over a year ago, after having endured two years of torture and repeated abuse by the bishop.
A group of nuns from her convent who support the survivor nun too face slander by the same channel.
“Defying bail conditions, Mulakkal has been engaged in defaming the sisters, as the channel has been onesidedly discussing the case, unethically posting videos of the survivor nun, her fellow sisters and the officials probing the case and has even used abusive language against her and the Sisters, thus mocking their bid for justice,” the ICWM statement says.
The group requested the court “to take suo moto cognizance of these matters, when the proceedings against him are opened, so that justice may prevail.
Meanwhile, a Kerala police official was immediately transferred from his post after he issued a notice to Bishop Mulakkal, following the survivor’s complaint of harassment and slander.
The Kuravilangad police, where the survivor had filed the complaint, handed over the case to Vaikom police for investigation.
Vaikom police station Sub Inspector Mohandas issued the notice to Bishop Mulakkal asking him why his bail should not be cancelled.
The notice was issued on October 23 and his superiors immediately transferred him to the Kottayam crime branch, sources told thenewsminute.com.
“The transfer of the police officer seems to be aimed at blocking him from appearing in court as part of the trial,” the source further said.
Meanwhile, the state women’s commission chairperson M C Josephine said that the commission will take strict action against those maligning the survivor nun and fellow nuns through social media.
“The women’s commission has registered a case over the issue. The commission has directed the state police chief and the cyber police to submit a report within 10 days,” Josephine said.