Kerala Court acquits Bishop Franco Mulakkal in Nun Rape Case

An Additional Sessions Judge,G Gopakumar in Kottayam on Friday acquitted Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the case that pertained to raping nun mutliple times in Kerala.

Mulakkal, was accused of raping the nun multiple times during his visit to a convent in this district when he was the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese of the Roman Catholic church.

The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district in June, 2018. In her complaint to the police in June 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by Franco between 2014 and 2016.

The complaint had stated that she was raped 14 times by Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Jalandhar diocese, from May 2014. In July, Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt gave statement to investigation officer K Subhash, Deputy SP, Vaikom, that the survivor nun had complained about Franco earlier, but since the complaint was not filed in writing, he did not take any action.

The Special Investigation Team which probed the case, arrested the Bishop in September 2018 and charged him under Sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 376 (2)(k), 376(2)(n) (rigorous imprisonment for not less than 10 years), 376 C(a) (intercourse by superintendent of remand home etc), 377 (unnatural offences) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The trial had began in September 2020 but at the request of Mulakkal's counsel, the court had restrained the print and electronic media from publishing any matter relating to the trial.

According to news reports the survivor had written a letter to Giambattista Diquattro, Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio (a diplomatic mission) alleging the bishop had been using the wealth of the diocese and his power to divert police investigation against him. She also alleged that the bishop had arranged people to attack her and her companions who supported her.