(INDIA)
OpIndia [New Delhi, India]
March 18, 2022
The pastor identified as Pondson John, a priest from the Orthodox Church at Koodal, repeatedly sexually abused a 17-year-old minor girl.
On Thursday, an orthodox church priest was arrested for sexually abusing a minor girl in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala.
According to reports, the pastor identified as Pondson John, a priest from the Orthodox Church at Koodal, repeatedly sexually abused a 17-year-old minor girl. The priest sexually abused the 17-year-old girl when she was left in his care for counselling.
The victim’s parents had sought the help of the priest for counselling her, as she was facing academic troubles.
As per the police complaint, the accused misbehaved with her two times at two different locations on March 12 and 13. At first, the priest sexually abused the victim at the church. Following the incident, the girl refused to go to the church the next day. However, the priest himself went to her home, took the girl inside a room, closed the door, and sexually harassed her.
Following the traumatic experience, the girl refused to go for counselling on the second day, said the police. She later informed one of her friends, who revealed it to the school authorities.
The school authorities later registered a complaint to the childline, following which the police arrested the accused pastor.