Rape accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal hands over charge to deputy

The Kerala nun rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal has decided to step down over the charge. Following the rape case filed against Bishop, he was asked to appear before investigation team on September 19 in Kerala.

He has reportedly handed over the charge to his deputy. German Catholic priest said, “I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation. In my absence, Msgr. Matthew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as is the normal practice when I am away from the diocese.”

The rape victim has written a letter to the Vatican accusing Franco of raping her multiple times between 2014 to 2016. She is seeking justice and demanding Bishop Mulakkal to be removed as the head of the Jalandhar diocese. She also raised a question asking, why the church was “closing its eyes to the truth” when she had gathered the courage to make public her suffering?

#KeralaNun rape case: Jalandhar police has served a notice to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, to appear before Kerala police on 19 September.

— ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2018

She also alleged that Bishop Mulakkal is using his money and political power to muzzle her voice. While the Bishop called her allegations as baseless and concocted. On Friday, Kerala Police has also registered a complaint against the Missionaries of Jesus of releasing a photograph of the rape victim, the nun, who accused the bishop of rape. As Indian laws prohibit revealing the identity of rape and sexual assault victims.

People who are staging a protest in Kochi seeking justice for the nun and demanding rape accused arrest welcomed the development, “We are happy about his decision. But he still wields wide authority and power (over the diocese). We will continue our agitation till our fellow sister gets justice,” said one of the five nuns who is seeking justice in Kochi.

Also read: Kerala nun rape accused Mulakkal claims nun had an illicit relationship with a relative