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Editor’s Note

Who is shielding ‘rapist’

Bishop?

CHORUS IS GROWING to arrest rape why she failed to lodge a complaint the first
Bishop, Franco Mulakkal, with nuns time?” The Missionaries of Jesus Congregation in -
taking to streets questioning who stead of supporting the nun, supported the bishop and
is shielding the alleged rapist. An alleged that the nun had “questionable relations
FIR had been registered against the with a local taxi driver and with a relative’s husband’’.
Catholic Bishop of Jalandhar long They also alleged she attended an event with Bishop
back on June 28 after a nun belong- Mulakkal the day after the alleged rape.
ing to the order of Missionaries of Jesus It is not a complaint by one nun but four more
alleged that the Bishop raped her 13 times nuns have come out in her support and joined
since 2014. In a recent letter to the Vatican’s India rep- protests in Kerala to press for action. While nun 1 alleged
resentative, the nun said that the bishop was using all that she was raped by the Bishop 13 times, nun 2
the money and power at his disposal to derail the case alleged that the Bishop touched her inappropriate-
and buy his way out of the charges. Sadly, even after ly, nun 3 has alleged that Bishop took advantage of
almost 80 days, the accused has not been arrested and his exalted position, nun 4 alleged that Bishop
now only summoned to appear before police in Kerala hugged her forcefully while nun 5 wrote to Cardi -
on September 19. nal against Bishop. Today, Church is facing crisis of
The victim has alleged that she sought help of credibility! It is clear case where her own institution
Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto and George Alencherry, is shaming her. Well if Bishop claims that
head of the Kochi-based Syro-Malabar Church, but he is innocent, why doesn’t he face probe? Is
the clergy did nothing. In fact Bishop Mulakkal has Bishop bigger than law of the land? Forget the
been shaming the victim time and again on national police, even the Church has refused to take action,
television channels and newspapers claiming that thereby, rendering its credibility to doubt. It should
the rape complaint against him is a sign of revenge come clean or else followers would stop believing
for taking action against the victim. He has been in religious institutions. It is a moment of Truth for
making allegations against the victim and malign- the Catholic Church!
ing her reputation. A motor mouth MLA from Poon-
jar, P.C.Geroge has also made deplorable comments
about the nun calling her “prostitute” who “enjoyed
12 times and on the 13th time charged it is rape”. The
law maker had the audacity to say that “if it was (CHARANJIT AHUJA)

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VOLUME 15, ISSUE NO. 18, 16-31 SEPTEMBER 2018 , RELEASED ON 16 SEPTEMBER, NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER 68
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