KERALA (INDIA)
NDTV
July 11, 2018
By Sneha Mary Koshy and Anindita Sanyal
At least 13 priests have been arrested in Kerala over the last 18 months following allegations of sexual abuse.
Thiruvananthapuram – A third woman has accused a priest in Kerala of sexual abuse, adding to the growing scandal that has rocked the state’s significant chunk of Christian population. Over the last 18 months, at least 12 priests have been arrested from different churches in Kerala for allegedly sexually abusing and raping minors and women. Last week, a nun and another woman made allegations of sexual abuse which, they said, went on for years. They also alleged that the Church, instead of impartially investigating the incidents, have been trying to cover up the matter.
The 48-year-old nun, a Roman Catholic, alleged that her complaint against Fr Franco Mullickal, the Bishop of Jalandhar, made in January last year drew a blank.
The church officials, she said, had promised action by June 30 this year. Instead, Fr Mullickal filed a complaint against her and five others, accusing them of threatening him. It was after that, on June 27, the nun filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the priest had sexually abused 13 times between 2014 and 2016.
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