INDIA
IndiaGlitz.com
July 17, 2020
An ex-catholic priest, identified as Vadakkancheril Mathew alias Robin Vadakkancheril, who was convinced of raping a minor girl in 2016, has moved the Kerala High Court on Wednesday seeking temporary suspension of his 20-year sentence to enable him to marry the rape survivor. The move has invited the wrath and condemnation of people.
In his plea, the 52-year-old priest reportedly said that the only impediment to the marriage was his priesthood and now he is eligible for entering wedlock as he had been dispensed with priestly duties and rights by the Pope and has been reduced to the state of a layman. The girl is now 20 years old. According to the prosecution, in May 2016, the accused induced the victim to go to his bedroom. Thereafter he committed rape and sexual assault against the victim. As a result, the victim became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy in May 2017. The baby has been under the supervision of the Child Welfare Committee and has been part of two orphanages. Regarding the priest’s suggestion, public prosecutor Suman Chakravarti reportedly said, “Every rape convict can then offer to marry the survivor, we cannot encourage such suggestions.”
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