NCW chief 'shocked' at Bishop Mulakkal's acquittal in rape case; extends help to victim

Chairperson of the National Commission of Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma, reacted strongly to the acquittal of the Kerala nun rape case accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal on Friday. Expressing that she is shocked to hear the verdict, the NCW chief extended support and help to the victim.

Sharma's statement comes after the Additional Session Court in Kottayam pronounced the verdict of the Kerala Nun Rape case on Friday, January 14 and acquitted the accused, Bishop Mulakkal. The case against the Bishop was filled in 2018, by a nun who had accused Mulakkal of raping her 13 times in two years (2014 to 2016). The verdict in the case came after a long wait of 26 months. 

'NCW is standing by her': Rekha Sharma

While expressing her shock at the acquittal of the convict, Rekha Sharma stated that she was aware of the details of the case, and she had also met the convict earlier. The National Commission of Women had taken suo moto cognizance in the case earlier, she had apprised.

Despite the verdict pronounced by the court, the NCW will continue to provide her support, if she needs it, Sharma asserted. “NCW is standing by her, If she needs NCW’s help, we are with her to take the matter,” she said. While the judgement has been pronounced by the additional sessions court,  the victim may challenge it in a higher court. 

Kerala Nun Rape Case

A rape case against Mulakkal was registered by police in the Kottayam district in 2018, while the investigation began in November 2019. The court had concluded the hearing on January 10 and reserved its verdict in the case of the alleged rape of a nun by the controversial bishop. It was an in-camera trial and the media was prohibited from reporting details about the trial on Bishop Franco Mulakkal's counsel’s request.

In her complaint to the police in June 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by Franco, then Bishop of the Jalandhar, diocese of Roman Catholic Church, between 2014 and 2016. The Special Investigation Team which probed the case arrested the Bishop and charged him with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation. This was the first case of sexual harassment filed against a Catholic bishop in India.

(Image: PTI)