Barred from religious rites for joining rape protest, says nun
KERALA NUN CASE Diocese spokesman denies claim, says no action taken against the nun THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
A nun at North Kerala’s Mananthavady Diocese on Sunday claimed to have been barred from attending any religious rites for joining a sit-in in Kochi against the delay in former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal’s arrest for allegedly raping a 43-year-old nun.
Sister Lucy Kalappurkkal said the convent’s mother superior instructed her against participating in any religious service after she returned from Kochi.
“After participating in the nuns’ stir in Kochi, I came back to my convent on Sunday morning. Sad, I was asked to keep away from all religious duties,” she said.
The Missionaries of Jesus nuns called off the sit-in after two weeks following Mulakkal’s arrest on Friday.
Mananthavady Diocese spokesman Stephen Kottakkal denied Kalappurkkal’s claim. “We have not taken any action against her.”
Kalappurkkal insisted she was barred from community prayers, worship and mass.
The Save Our Sisters, which was floated in the wake of the nuns’ agitation, called the action against Kalappurkkal “sheer victimisation and witch-hunt”. The organization’s convener, Father Agustin Vattolly, said they would fight for the nun and try to convince the diocese to reverse its decision.
“It seems a witch-hunt has begun. The nuns’ movement was a kind of renaissance meant to cleanse the church stables. Rather than introspecting, the church authorities are back to their dirty game of intimidation and witch-hunt,” said Sister Jesme, activist and writer, who was defrocked 10 years ago.
The 43-year-old nun had filed a police complaint in June this year, accusing Mulakkal of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. She is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab, which also runs three convents in Kerala.
Mulakkal was arrested Friday after three days of questioning. He has been booked under Indian Penal Code’s sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offence) and 560 (1) (criminal intimidation).