Kerala nun rape case: NGO SoS writes to CM, demands protection for victim and witnesses

KOCHI: In a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, an NGO 'Save our Sisters' (SoS) has demanded the state government to provide protection for a rape survivor nun and five others nuns who have been fighting for her cause.

In its letter, the NGO claimed that the victim and five nuns were facing threats from the supporters of the rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

The five nuns had earlier written an open letter to the state's chief minister seeking protection in the wake of threats to their lives from the accused and his alleged sympathisers.

''The rape survivor and the other five nuns who supported her in the case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal are facing an imminent threat of being separated and sent away from Kerala by the Missionaries of Jesus,'' the SoS said in its letter.

Save Our Sisters (SOS) in a letter to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan: The rape survivor & the other five nuns who supported her in the case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal are facing imminent threat of being separated & sent away from Kerala by the Missionaries of Jesus.

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2019

''We urge the Kerala government to ensure their lives are not endangered by enforcing transfer order. We call upon govt to initiate immediate action to forestall the move to remove them, from their present convent where govt is giving protection, till the trial is completed,'' the letter added. 

SOS in letter to Kerala CM: We urge govt to ensure their lives are not endangered by enforcing transfer order. We call upon govt to initiate immediate action to forestall the move to remove them, from their present convent where govt is giving protection, till trial is completed. — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2019

A nun had in 2018 accused Mulakkal of confining her to a room at a convent in Kerala’s Kuravilangad district and raping her repeatedly over a period of two months.

The rape survivor and the other five nuns with the same congregation are still battling for justice and are facing an imminent threat of being separated and sent away from Kerala by the Missionaries of Jesus.

An SIT was formed under the command of the Kottayam DSP to investigate the allegations made against the Bishop. 

Based on their findings, Bishop Franco was sent to the Pala sub-jail where he was lodged for about three weeks before being granted interim bail by the Kerala High Court.

The SoS has also pressed for the arrest of Bishop Franco claiming that there are possibilities of the accused using his clout to influence key witnesses in the case.