Thursday, March 28

Kerala nun who lost rape case against bishop flooded with letters of support | India


Hundreds of letters of support have reached a nun in Kerala after a court acquitted a bishop accused of raping and abusing her for two years, in the first such case to affect the Indian Catholic Church.

Handwritten letters from activists, artists, journalists, filmmakers and other nuns from across India express their outrage at last week’s court verdict that cleared Bishop Franco Mulakkal of all charges of sexual abuse after the judge said that the victim, a 50-year-old nun, was not an “excellent witness.”

Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, was accused of raping the nun 13 times at the Missionaries of Jesus convent in Kottayam, Kerala, between 2014 and 2016.

The nun took her case to the police in June 2018, and in 2019 Mulakkal was formally charged with unjustified confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation, becoming the first Indian bishop to be arrested in connection with sexual abuse. Mulakkal denied all the accusations.

The landmark case exposed deep divisions and systemic failures within the Indian Catholic Church in dealing with allegations of sexual assault. It was only taken seriously after other nuns protested in support of the alleged victim.

The trial, which began in 2020, lasted almost two years, and last Friday Judge G Gopakumar found Mulakkal not guilty on all counts. Gopakumar questioned why the nun had taken so long to report the full extent of the alleged sexual abuse and expressed doubts about her testimony and her motives.

Gopakumar said that there were “exaggerations and embellishments” in the nun’s witness statement, and that she had been “influenced by the influence of others who had a vested interest in the matter” and “did her best to hide certain facts”.

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“The infighting, rivalry and group fights of the nuns, and the desire for power, position and control over the congregation, is evident in the case,” the judge wrote. “The victim’s claim that she was raped 13 times under duress cannot be based on her solitary testimony. There is no consistency in the victim’s statement.”

B. Kemal Pasha, a former Kerala high court judge, called the verdict a miscarriage of justice, adding that “a delay in reporting such a case cannot be the reason for acquittal.”

S Harisankar, the police chief who oversaw the case, said he “fully expected a conviction” and that the verdict would “send the wrong message to society”.

In an effort to show broad support for the nuns who have been fighting the case and urge them not to be discouraged by the verdict, a letter-writing campaign began in India this week.

Hundreds of handwritten letters to the nuns have been posted on social media expressing solidarity. Actor Geetu Mohandas wrote a “note of gratitude, of thanks, for standing strong to tell his story where many have been silenced.” Another actress, Rima Kallingal, spoke of how the sisters had inspired and empowered her. “I can never thank you enough for this new chapter for Kerala,” she wrote.

Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai, who is fighting her own #MeToo sexual harassment case, wrote: “Your voice is ours, your strength is our lantern.”

Film critic Anna MM Veticad wrote: “I stand with you in your battle for justice within an uncaring church and an Indian justice system that has chosen to shame you.”

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The Kerala government has said it will appeal the verdict. Sister Anupama, one of the nuns who had been the public face of the campaign, told reporters outside the court that they would “continue this fight until the day our sister gets justice.”




www.theguardian.com

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