By Matters India Reporter
Mananthavady, March 1, 2020: Pope Francis has defrocked a Catholic priest in Kerala who was convicted for raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl, a press note from the Mananthavady diocese said on March 1.
Robin Vadakkumchery, who was a priest of the Syro-Malabar diocese, is currently serving a jail term for the crime.
The Pope’s action is seen as the Church adhering to its “zero tolerance” policy towards clergy sexually exploiting minors.
The press release from diocesan public relations officer Father Jose Kocharackal says the diocese had handed over the Vatican decree to Vadakkumchery in February this year. The duly signed decree was then sent to Rome, it adds.
Father Kocharackal says the diocese had initiated action against Vadakkumchery after the POCSO (Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act 2012) court in Tellicherry convicted him on February 16, 2019.
The Mananthavady bishop on April 19, 2019, sent his report to the Vatican explaining the action taken by the diocesan in the matter. Rome on June 21, 2019, began the process to remove Vadakkumchery from priesthood and asked the diocese to get the priest’s explanation in writing.
Pope Francis on December 5, 2019, took the decision to dismiss Vadakkumchery from priesthood. “Only the Pope has the right to remove a person from all priestly duties,” the press release explains.
Father Kocharackal says the diocese had suspended Vadakkumchery from all priestly duties as soon it came it came to know from the media about his arrest on February 27, 2017. On the same day, the diocese had appointed a commission to study the case in-depth. The commission submitted its report within a month and the diocese forwarded it to the Vatican congregation that deals with such cases.
Vadakkumchery was reportedly arrested while trying to flee to Canada.
The POSCO court had awarded Vadakkumchery a total of 60 years imprisonment on various charges connected to the crime.
The court, however, said Vadakkumchery would spend only 20 years in prison as the charges are concurrent.
The court also imposed 300,000 rupees as fine on the 52-year-old former pastor of St Sebastian’s Church Kottiyoor, a parish under Mananthavady diocese. The court ordered Vadakkumchery to give 150,000 rupees to the victim, who was his parishioner.
The Vatican’s action has come two years after Pope Francis made it clear that all bishops should adhere to a policy of “zero tolerance” for clergy who sexually exploit children.
The court acquitted other six accused in the case as the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them.
The acquitted are Kottiyoor Palukachi native Thankamma alias Annamma, Sisters Liz Maria alias Elsie, Sister Anita, Sister Ophelia, Betty Jose and Father Thomas Joseph Therakam, former chairperson of Wayanad Child Welfare Council.
However, the court directed the police to take action against the girl’s parents for giving false statements in the court.
The rape case came to light after the victim delivered a baby boy in December 2016 at Christuraja Hospital in Kuthuparamba in Kannur district. Childline India officials intimated the police and a case was registered on February 27, 2017, by the Peravoor police. The girl was then shifted to an adoption center in Vythiri, Wayanad.
Initially, the 16-year-old girl’s father admitted to raping his daughter, but police arrested Father Vadakkumchery on the basis of secret information received at the NGO Childline.