NEW DELHI (INDIA)
Indian Express
July 3, 2018
By Shaju Philip
The issue has rocked the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, a prominent non-Catholic Church in Kerala, after the victim’s husband wrote to the Church, alleging that the priests had blackmailed and abused his wife, a school teacher.
Kerala Crime Branch on Monday registered a rape case against four priests of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church who have been accused of sexually exploiting a married woman belonging to their Church.
The issue has rocked the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, a prominent non-Catholic Church in Kerala, after the victim’s husband wrote to the Church, alleging that the priests had blackmailed and abused his wife, a school teacher.
Last week, veteran CPM leader V S Achuthanandan had moved a complaint with the state police chief, seeking a probe into the allegations.
Subsequently, the Crime Branch recorded the woman’s statement, leading to the case against the four priests, three of them married — in Malankara Orthodox Church, priests have the option to lead a married life. The accused priests are Jaise K George, Abraham Varghese, Johnson V Mathew and Job Mathew.
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