By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, Nov 11, 2019: The trial of the nun rape case, which was scheduled to begin on November 11, has been postponed.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge in Kottayam in Kottayam, Kerala, has now fixed November 30 as the date to begin the trial of Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, accused of raping a Catholic nun multiple times.
The court officials said the case was postponed because of the non-availability of the designated judge, who had to attend to some work in the Kerala High Court, based in Kochi.
The court premises in Kottayam, a town with the largest number of Christians in Kerala, remained deserted as both the defense and the prosecution teams stayed away as they were informed about the postponement.
The court on October 23 had asked Bishop Mulakkal to stand trial in the case filed on June 28, 2018, by the former superior general of the Missionaries of Jesus in the Kuravilangad police station in Kottayam district.
The congregation functions under the Jalandhar diocese with its bishop as its patron. The crimes allegedly took place in their convent in Kuravilangad, 22 km north of Kottayam.
The nun alleged that the bishop had subjected her to rape and unnatural sexual offences 13 times between May 2014 and September 2016.
The bishop has dismissed the charges as vendetta against him for recommending disciplinary action against the nun.
The case made international headlines when five members of the same congregation joined a sit-in called by a movement called Save Our Sisters before the Kerala High Court in Kochi, Kerala’s commercial capital, on September 8, 2018, demanding the bishop’s arrest.
The protest that drew supporters from all sections of society eventually led to Bishop Mulakkal’s arrest on September 21, 2018. He was however released on bail by the Kerala High Court on October 15, 2018.
Shaiju Antony, joint convener of the Save our Sisters that organized the sit-in, says the Mulakkal’s is a VIP case and such cases are often delayed for years before they reach the trial stage.
He alleged the bishop’s team had tried 14 times to stall the proceedings.
“None of his tricks worked as the investigation officer was so nice and intelligent that he responded to all his applications on time, leaving no room left for the bishop to delay the trial.”
Antony expressed the hope that Mulakkal will be punished for his crime despite “the open support” to him from the Catholic Church leaders in Kerala.
Bishop Mulakkal enjoys patronage of leaders of political parties — in power and in the opposition, he added.
Antony also said some Youtube channels back Bishop Mulakkal and carry false stories to tarnish the image of the survivor and her supporters.
The survivor nun on Oct 19 wrote to the National Human Rights Commission, Nation Women Commission, and its Kerala unit seeking action against Mulakkal of Jalandhar for allegedly tarnishing her image.
“I have been subjected to extreme humiliation and intimidation in various forms” since the crime was reported to police in June 2018, the letter said.
She said the Christian Times, a new Youtube channel, has published fFalse statements and fabricated stories to tarnish the reputation of her and her supporters. “We believe Bishop Franco and his group are behind this agenda,” the letter alleged.
The nun said she has filed police complaints about eight cases of media humiliation and insults. But even after police began investigating a case against the Christian Times, it published several photographs and videos revealing her name and identity, the nun alleged.
Indian laws forbid revealing the name, photograph or other details of an alleged rape victim to help protect her from a possible social backlash.
“The identity of witnesses supporting me are also disclosed, leaving them open to intimidation and threats. The videos were published in such a way that my identity was easily recognizable to the public,” the letter said.