Supreme Court Takes Stock Of Malankara Orthodox Church Rape Case, Asks Kerala To Produce Status Report

The Supreme Court has asked the Kerala government to produce a status report on the complaint lodged by a woman that she was sexually abused by five priests of the Malankara Orthodox Church.

The apex court asked the state government to produce the report by 6 August, reported news agency ANI.

The woman had complained that she was raped by a priest when she went for a confession. Subsequently, four other priests of the church had also sexually abused her allegedly. The woman said she had undergone torture from the five priests for almost a decade before the news came out. Her husband had lodged a complaint with Kerala police that his wife had come under duress from the priests of the church.

The apex court however, stayed the arrest of two priests - Jaise K George and Sony Varghese - until 6 August.

The news of this scandal has resulted in several reports of such abuses at churches in Kerala coming out.