Kerala Hc Dismisses Rape Convict Catholic Priest’s Outrageous Plea to Marry Survivor

News Minute
February 17, 2021

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-hc-dismisses-rape-convict-catholic-priest-s-outrageous-plea-marry-survivor-143608


Robin, the Catholic priest convicted of rape, had last year moved the High Court for bail so that he can marry the survivor and ‘take care of the child born to her.’

The Kerala High Court has dismissed the outrageous plea filed by rape convict Catholic priest Robin Vadakkumchery, who asked to be let out on bail so that he can “marry the survivor.” The court has dismissed the priest’s plea filed by the rape convict stating that there is no merit in the plea.

Dismissing the plea, Justice Sunil Thomas stated that granting the plea would be like giving judicial approval for the marriage, reports Mahir Haneef of the Times of India.

It was in last July that Catholic priest Robin, who has been convicted by a POCSO court for 20 years in prison for raping and impregnating a minor girl, had moved the Kerala High Court with an outrageous plea that he should be granted bail so that he may “marry the survivor” and “take care of the child born to her.”

Dismissing the plea, the High Court has said that no compromise can be done nor can a lenient view be accepted in matters related to sexual offences. The court reportedly cited the trial court’s finding that the survivor was a minor during the time of the assault, stating that it still remains and that granting bail to the priest and allowing them to get married would be like giving it legal sanctity.

It was in 2016 that the survivor, a 16-year-old girl studying in Class 11 in a church-backed school in Kannur where Robin was the manager, was sexually assaulted by him. She gave birth to a child in February 2017. Initially, the accused and the church had immensely pressurised the family of the survivor and had even forced her father to confess that he was the one who raped and impregnated his daughter. But later, the survivor’s family alleged that were pressurised and threatened by the Church. DNA tests later conducted had also concluded that Robin was the father of the child. During the hearing, the court had declared the survivor hostile, after she claimed in court that she had attained the age of consent. The survivor, then an adult in 2018, had told the court that she was ready to marry Father Robin and raise the child together. However, the court convicted the Catholic priest after observing that the survivor was a minor at the time of the crime.

After he was convicted, in March 2019, the Vatican dismissed the priesthood of Robin Vadakkumchery.

Following this, after a year of being convicted, he moved the High Court with a bail plea. The prosecution had vehemently opposed the priest’s plea in court. “We cannot encourage such suggestions because every rape convict will tell they want to marry the survivor,” Public Prosecutor Suman Chakravarti had told TNM.

Amid protests, Kerala govt to create over 3000 new posts in various departments


Amid the continuing Congress-led protests in Kerala against alleged backdoor appointments and demanding extension of validity of certain PSC rank lists, the Left Front government on Wednesday decided to create 3,051 new posts in various departments.

The state cabinet, on Wednesday, also decided to put on hold regularisation of contractual employees, saying the opposition parties were misleading the youth, a move which the opposition drubbed as "succumbing to the pressure of protesters".

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government will regularise those appointments which were put on hold once the government is re-elected. "The state government has decided to create 3,051 new posts in various departments. With this the permanent posts created by this government have gone over 30,000. Of the new posts created, 2,027 posts will be in the health department," Vijayan said at a press meet.

He refuted the opposition’s allegation that by putting on hold regularisation of contractual employees, the government has succumbed to the protests of rank holders and said the state government policy is to "regularise those who have been employed for more than ten years".

"The opposition has been misleading the job aspirants. Those who are being regularised are working for more than 10-20 years. How can the opposition ask to terminate these employees and appoint people without following procedure," Vijayan asked.

He said there were no lapses on the part of the government in regularisation and the protest was to "tarnish" the image of the Left government.

Several youths have been protesting in front of the state secretariat since January 26 seeking extension of validity of their rank list in various Public Service Commission (PSC) exams. Extending support to them, the youth congress on Wednesday continued their protests. The state BJP also joined the protest with its leader Sobha Surendran beginning a 48-hour-long sit-in in solidarity with the protesting rank holders. Late in the night, the protesters blocked a government vehicle in front of the secretariat and threw chairs inside the complex.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, earlier in the day, alleged Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was telling lies on the number of appointments made by the government. "The chief minister was telling lies instead of facing the protests of youngsters for justice. This government has even appointed a consultancy for backdoor appointments," Chennithala told reporters at Pathanamthitta.