Suspect in sex offender priest’s case surrenders

One more of the key accused in the case of a Catholic priest in Kerala, who faces charges of abusing and impregnating a 16-year-old schoolgirl, has surrendered before police.

Thankamma Nelliyani, 53, who is accused of helping the priest cover up the incident and passing on the baby boy born to the schoolgirl to a Catholic Churchrun orphanage, surrendered at the Peravur police station yesterday.

Robin Vadakkumcherry, the priest accused in the case was arrested by the police earlier this month. Later, another priest Thomas Joseph Therakam and two nuns, Betty Jose and Ophelia, accused of assisting Vadakkumcherry in covering up the matter surrendered before the police.

The surrender of the priest, the two nuns and Thankamma Nelliyani happened after courts rejected their requests for bail in the case. Nelliyani is accused of being a close confidante of Vadakkumcherry and allegedly helped in covering up the crime.

The shocking case of the schoolgirl being abused and impregnated happened at Kottiyoor in Kannur district. The priest has since been removed by the church from his ritual roles.

After Nelliyani’s surrender yesterday, there are five more accused in the case who are yet to be arrested.

Two of them have been identified as Sister Liz Maria who is Nelliyani’s daughter, and Sister Aneeta. The two nuns worked with the orphanage where the new born baby was taken to.

Two other accused in the case are medical doctors, identified as Sr Tessy Jose and Hyder Ali and another is a nun identified as Ancy Mathew.

The priest’s case prompted the bishop of Manathavady diocese to apologise publicly to the parishioners of Kottiyoor where the priest Robin Vadakkumcherry allegedly abused the schoolgirl at the priest’s quarters adjacent to the local parish where he was the vicar.