Kerala Church Hit By A Horrific Sex Scandal, As Nun Accuses Bishop Of Raping Her For Many Years

Things are going from bad to worse for the Catholic Church in Kerala, as it has been left embarrassed by a nun filing a rape complaint against a Bishop -- the first time that has ever happened in India.

The case was filed by a Catholic nun who has worked in Syro-Malabar diocese of Jalandhar in Punjab, headed by Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

According to her complaint Bishop Mulakkal first raped her in 2014 at a guesthouse in Kuravilangad in Kottayam District, when he was visiting a church-run orphanage.

In her complaint to Kottayam district police superintendent, the nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times till 2016.

The nun who belongs to the Missionaries of Jesus Congregation also alleged that she had raised the issue with the church authorities, but no action was taken against the Bishop, which made her to approach the police.

AFP/ Representational Image

She also alleged that she has been facing harassment by the bishop including removing her from her posts in the congregation. Even though in the past many priests have been accused of sexual misconduct, this is the first time in the history of the church in India that a Bishop has been accused of rape.

Bishop Mulakkal however rejected the allegations and accused the nun of revenge for taking disciplinary action against her and transferring her from the present institution. Refusing to obey the orders, she was raising baseless allegations, the Bishop said in his complaint.

The Kottayam Police which registered a case against Mulakkal and directed a DySP rank officer to probe the allegation however said the Jalandhar-based Bishop had first filed the complaint against the nun.

BCCL/ Representational Image

¡°It was the Bishop who made the first complaint. The nun later filed a complaint that he had raped her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. An investigation in both the cases is on,¡± a senior police officer said.

The serious allegation which has hit the Kerala-based Syro-Malabar church at a time when it is battling for credibility after the Archbishop was accused of illegal land deals. Faced with allegations, the Vatican recently announced the appointment of a new apostolic administrator for the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese to replace Cardinal George Alencherry who was accused of approving the sale of land owned by the Ernakulam archdiocese below market value.

BCCL

The rape allegation against the Bishop also comes days after a Kerala man accused five priests of the Orthodox Church of sexually abusing his wife for years.

The Kottayam-based church has since suspended the five priests and the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police have began a probe into the allegations.