Bishop Franco Mulakkal, a former priest accused of raping a nun, was acquitted by a Kerala court on Friday. 

Mulakkal, 57, was accused of raping the nun multiple times during his visit to a convent, while he was the Bishop of the Jalandhar diocese of the Roman Catholic church, PTI reported. 

What was the case all about?

The nun, belonging to the order of the Missionaries of Jesus of the Catholic Church, had alleged in June 2018 that she had been subjected to sexual abuse by the bishop between the years 2014 and 2016, when he was head of the Missionaries of Jesus order. A case was then filed against him in Kottayam district.

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She accused Mulakkal of raping and subjecting her to unnatural sex 13 times in the two years a the convent in Kuravilangad. 

The Special Investigation Team probing the case charged him with illegal confinement, rape, abuse of power, unnatural sex, and criminal intimidation. He was arrested three months later in September.

Mulakkal denied all the charges levelled against him.

Outrage

A group of nuns close to the victim had launched a hunger strike soon after the complaint was registered. They protested outside the high court premises demanding Mullakal’s arrest. 

Shortly after, the accused was brought to Kochi and questioned for three days by the police. He was later released on bail, according to a report in The Indian Express. 

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Retaliation

The bishop had earlier retaliated by saying that the charges against him were ‘fabricated’ and a result of a decision he had taken against the nun. 

He had also approached the High Court and the Supreme Court to dismiss the charges against him, but both courts refused. 

The Supreme Court had said, “We don’t find any error in the judgment so as to call for its review. The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed.”

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The Trial

The additional court on January 14 acquitted Mulakkal with a single-line verdict because of lack of evidence against the accused.

The trial went on for over 100 days spanning from November 2019 to January 10 in closed court. Out of 83 total witnesses, 39 reportedly gave testimonies in favour of the prosecution, The Indian Express reported. 

Print and electronic media had also been restrained from reporting or publishing on the case trial without the permission of the court. 

The bishop was seen leaving the court with a smile after the court’s acquittal.

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The case is extremely significant and holds massive implications for the alleged abuse against nuns within the Church. Mullakal was the first Catholic bishop in India to go on trial for rape and sexual harassment on the complaint of a nun. He was also relieved from his official duties soon after the complaint had been registered. 

(With inputs from PTI)