KOCHI: The allegations of sexual exploitation of a nun by Bishop Franco Mulakkal were part of a conspiracy to destroy the church and malign the reputation of the bishop, said a statement issued by the Jalandhar diocese on Wednesday.
In the statement, diocese PRO Fr Peter Kavumpuram has urged the media and the public to refrain from humiliating the bishop and ignoring his human rights.
The PRO claimed that Bishop Franco did not stay at the Kuruvilangad convent on May 5, 2014, the day the nun alleged she was sexually assaulted by the bishop. This can be understood from the convent records. The next day, the bishop had attended the first communion ceremony of the complainant’s sister’s daughter.
According to the statement, the video footage of the programme reveals how pleasantly the complainant was interacting with the bishop. Being member of a religious community that considers loss of virginity equal to death, how could the nun welcome the bishop with a pleasant smile when he arrived for the first communion ceremony if she was sexually assaulted by him the previous day, the PRO asked.
According to the PRO, the bishop and the complainant had traveled together around 30 times to participate in various programmes during the 2014-16 period. Considering the fact that it will be a traumatic experience for a rape victim to meet or interact with the assailant, the allegation need to be applied with common sense, said the PRO.
According to the rules of the congregation, a nun cannot enter the room of a man without being accompanied by two persons. How could she reach the guestroom of the bishop 13 times without being noticed by other nuns and inmates of the convent, the PRO asked.
The allegation was first raised on June 23, 2018, when Kottayam police summoned the nun to record her statement regarding a complaint that the nun’s family members have issued death threat to the bishop, said the PRO.
The PRO’s statement
A relative of the nun had lodged a complaint that the nun had illicit relationship with her husband. The bishop had instituted a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations. This had created animosity in the nun’s mind against the bishop and she stopped attending programmes participated by the bishop.