Three held for helping rape-tainted Kerala priest

new delhi — Two nuns and a priest accused of covering up the birth of a baby born to a teenage girl who was allegedly raped by another priest have been arrested in India, police said Friday.

All three handed themselves in to police in Kerala where they were being questioned over allegations they deliberately hid the birth at a hospital run by the Catholic church and took the baby to an orphanage.

Under Indian law, hospitals and orphanages must report all teenage pregnancies and births to authorities.

They surrendered two weeks after Robin Vadakkumchery was arrested on charges of raping the 16-year-old, who gave birth in February.

Six more people believed to have helped the victim give birth are still on the run.

The girl told investigators that the priest raped her at a churchrun school last year.

She and her family said they were unaware of the pregnancy until she complained of stomach pain and was taken to hospital, where she gave birth.

A child rights organisation tipped off police about the secret delivery, triggering an investigation that revealed the alleged involvement of the priest, nuns and other officials.

It is not the first time the church in Kerala has faced accusations of sexual abuse.

Two autobiographies by former Catholic nuns have in recent years revealed the scale of sexual exploitation by priests.

Last year, a priest was sentenced to 40 years in prison by a Kerala court for raping a 12-yearold girl in 2014. —