The smiling face of former Bishop Franco Mulakkal walking out of the Kottayam district court after he was found not guilty in the Kerala nun rape case, on January 14, has sent shock waves to the hearts of many who were following the news closely.
What is the case all about?
Mulakkal was the official patron of the Missionaries of Jesus, a community of nuns, and wielded immense influence within it. While it took a little over a 100-day hearing for Mulakkal to be acquitted, the FIR in the case was filed in September 2018. A nun in her complaint accused Mulakkal, who at the time was bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese, of raping her multiple times during his visits to her convent in Kuravilangad in Kerala. The incidents, according to her, have been between 2014 and 2016.
When was he arrested?
Soon after that, a group of nuns close to the victim launched a hunger strike in front of the Kerala High Court premises in Kochi demanding Mulakkal's arrest. Following this, the former Bishop was arrested and released on bail a month later.
What were the charges against him?
Police charged Mulakkal with rape, illegal confinement and intimidation of the nun. He was also charged with unnatural sex, rape and outraging the modesty of a woman.
Why does this case matter?
For an observer, the case against Mulakkal seemed strong as not a single witness had turned hostile (A witness is deemed hostile when they make contrary statements to what they made initially to the police). There were plenty of struggles and sacrifices made in this case by the nuns who chose to speak up. This was also the first time a Catholic Bishop was arrested and booked on charges of rape and sexual harassment in India. This case stood as an example of the horrors that can take place within any religious institution where one or few individuals hold immense power and demand unconditional obedience — with hardly any grievance mechanism for the victims.
What will happen next?
Activist-nun Sister Lucy Kalappurakkal, who took part in the survivor's fight for justice and was expelled from her congregation recently, said the verdict was regrettable and expressed hope that justice would prevail at any cost in the higher court. Senior IPS officer S Harishankar, who had led the special investigation team in the case said that an appeal will be filed in the higher court challenging this verdict.
