Kerala: Missionaries Of Jesus Declares Rape Victim Nun As ‘Guilty’, Leaks Her Photos

Avenging the allegations against the church, the Missionaries of Jesus released an image of the nun who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of sexually harassing her reports Mirror Now.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar had been accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a nun who belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus. These assaults are said to have happened on 13 different occasions between 2014-2016 at a convent in Kerala.

The church which was under severe criticism for unduly protecting the Bishop courted a new controversy by publishing the complainant nun’s picture public in an investigation report submitted to the Special investigation team (SIT) which was conducted by the congregation. The Missionary of Jesus in the report finds the nun guilty and terms the accused Bishop as innocent and not guilty of any offence.

The publication of the image of the nun is, however, a clear violation of the supreme court ruling that prohibits anyone from publishing or revealing the identity of the rape victim. The image which shows the nun smiling alongside the accused Bishop was used by the church as a counter-argument against the nun and the other protesting nuns.

The unprecedented event has raised protests from various corners. Widespread outrage against the Missionaries of Jesus is pouring in from all strata of society. Earlier there were widespread protests against the delay in arrest of Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, the accused in the Kerala Nun case.

The High Court on Monday (10 September) had asked the Kerala government to submit details of the action taken against the complaint of sexual assault by the nun, Kerala High Court Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy, while seeking details, had observed that no one is above the law. The release of the picture of the nun is seen as a challenge to the legal system by the church and demoralising the protestors through character assassination.