Kerala: For offering 'deal' to rape-survivor nun, priest sacked
In a notable development, the priest who called the nun to withdraw the rape case against Jalandhar Bishop Frank Mullakal in exchange of security has been asked to step down. In the phone call, widely covered by media, the priest also threatened her. The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) Congregation called the incident unfortunate and said that an inquiry was initiated against Father James.
Bishop was accused of raping nun 13 times
The nun alleged Frank Mullakal raped her 13 times in two years. She alleged that the Bishop called her to a guest house in 2014 on the pretext of work, and violated her. She also said the church failed to act. The rape accused Bishop claimed he was innocent and said the nun leveled the charges because he took disciplinary action against her.
Priest asks nun to 'think and do this positively'
In the phone call, Father James reportedly told the nun to withdraw the case and promised land, money and security. He said if the nun withdrew the complaint and moved to some other convent, she might 'face problems', but not if she moved independently. "It will be good if you think about this and if you decide to do this positively," he said.
Case must be withdrawn, priest told nun
The priest then said the nun will get 'support'. When the nun asked if the Jalandhar Diocese would provide support, the priest said yes. "If we have to buy 10 acres of land and build a decent building for everyone, it's not easy. So they will help, but their condition is that this case must be withdrawn," he said. The nun declined the offer.
Want justice, don't care about our children's lives: Nun's family
Declining the offer, the nun told the priest she wanted justice and didn't care about anything else. The nun's family said they thought the church will take an action, but it didn't. "We are not worried about the lives of our children," the family said. Sources said the police have received the audio file and will take action after ascertaining the authenticity of it.
