Kottayam, Kochi, Pala: Inside the St Francis Mission Home at Kuravilangadu in Kottayam, the mellow strains of prayers waft through the heavy air — there’s a retreat in progress.
Once the retreat ends, the silence in the convent premises is punctuated by a fervent prayer — for justice. This comes from a 42-year-old survivor battling one of the Catholic Church’s highest-ranking clergyman, who she has accused of sexual abuse.
The nun alleged that Bishop Franco Mulakkal, of the Jalandhar diocese, had sexually abused her 13 times for two years from 2014 to 2016.
But the road to bring him to justice has already been long-drawn.
While she lodged a complaint against the bishop in June 2018, the police finally filed a 1,400-page chargesheet in April 2019. In it, the bishop has been accused of illegal confinement, criminal intimidation, unnatural sex, rape and misuse of power.
Mulakkal, who is out on bail, finally goes on trial today (11 November).
In between, the case has had its twists and turns — the death of a witness at the Jalandhar diocese, alleged threats of expulsion to nuns who protested in favour of the survivor, alleged intimidation, political pressure and the repeated transfers of police officials probing the case.
A reclusive survivor fights on
At the mission in Kuravilangadu, the survivor is guarded.
Seated just outside, the three police personnel, including a woman constable, keep a close watch and register all who request to meet with Sister Anupama Kelamangalathuveliyil, one of the nuns who protested on the survivor’s behalf.
ThePrint reached out to the survivor who communicated that she would prefer to be left alone and fight the case with the strength of those supporting her.
“She is a brave lady who has called him out, but she is very emotional too,” says a nun from the convent on condition of anonymity. “She breaks down each time she talks about the incident. She is always in prayer,” the nun adds.
“We do live in fear as to what would possibly happen to the case,” says sister Anupama. “We don’t want him to walk scot-free. We know it is a long-drawn fight but we believe in God and he will help us.”
She adds that the nuns hope the case will set a precedent.
“There have been several cases of abuse in churches across the country. Most times the seniors have warned the perpetrators or punished them,” Sister Anupama says. “But here is a man who is extremely influential. He should and cannot walk out free after what he has done. He should be made an example of.”
Sister Anupama and three other nuns — Neena Rose, Josephine Villoonnickal and Ancitta Urumbil — tell ThePrint they have been “pressured, hounded and threatened by the Convent superiors to drop the case or be defrocked”.
But that, they say, has not deterred them.
“There have been several attempts to demoralise, derail, split, intimidate and weaken us,” says Sister Anupama. “We are together and will stick together for our sister. Nobody can try and weaken our resolve.”
Mulakkal has denied all the charges made by the victim. Instead, he alleged that the nun had indulged in an “illicit incestuous relationship” and when she was pulled up, she retaliated with a case against him.
The church stands steadfast behind the bishop and even though he has been stripped of his pastoral duties, he continues to operate and command the same respect, alleges Sister Anupama.
Delay and a traumatised family
One of the questions raised against the survivor is the delay in approaching the police.
According to her statement to police, the bishop would make frequent trips from Jalandhar to Kuravilangadu. He allegedly first abused her at the guest room in the mission on 5 May 2014.
He allegedly abused her 13 times until 23 September 2016, each time visiting the convent on the pretext of some official work. She told the police that she repeatedly raised the issue with her seniors in the church but they remained silent.
She finally approached the police in June 2018.
The survivor’s sister says they approached a number of church authorities for help. “We are very pious Christians and God-fearing. Never did it cross our minds that a bishop, who we see as the messenger of God, would turn out to be the devil incarnate,” the sister said.
“We made several requests to church officials and influential priests in our congregation but to no avail. That is when my sister decided to file a police complaint.”
Talking about the pain her family undergoes every time they are made to talk about the case, the survivor’s sister recalls how on 7 May 2016, Bishop Mulakkal had visited their house in Kalady near Kochi to partake in the communion of her son.
“My sister stood away from us on that day. She had tears in her eyes. I assumed she was upset that the communion was taking place while I was still mourning my husband’s death,” says the sister. “She opened up to me about the ordeal much later and then it dawned on me that those were tears of pain inflicted by Franco.”
“I won’t even call that man by his name,” she adds. “He had the audacity to offer prayers in my house, a day after he had hurt my sister.”
A case of twists and turns
The case, which has been rocked by one controversy after another, has deeply divided the Catholic Church in Kerala.
After the nun approached the authorities on 27 June 2018, nearly three months later in September, Mulakkal was arrested.
In the intervening period, on 30 July 2018, police charged Fr. James Erthayil, another priest, for attempting to influence the nuns who raised their voices against the bishop.
The nuns submitted an audio clip where the priest is heard offering 10 acres and a new convent to a friend of the nun to withdraw the complaint against Mulakkal.
On 8 September, four nuns named above staged a sit-in protest in Kochi demanding the bishop’s arrest.
Less than a month after his initial arrest, Mulakkal was granted bail by the court. To make matters worse for the protesting nuns and the survivor, the clergyman was given a grand welcome after he was released in Jalandhar.
Fear and anxiety gripped the protesting nuns and the survivor, after one of the key witnesses in the case, Fr Kuriakose Kattuthara, was found dead on 22 October.
Mulakkal was only released from jail on 16 October.
There have also been allegations that the bishop had made attempts to delay the case.
On 13 June this year, Kottayam Superintendent of Police (SP) Harishankar and Vaikom Deputy SP K. Subash, both senior officers in the case, were transferred. SP Harishankar has now been made part of the investigation.
Then, on 25 October, the sub-inspector from Vaikom police station, Mohandas, was transferred, days after he issued a notice to Mulakkal, questioning why his bail shouldn’t be cancelled based on a complaint from the survivor.
In the fresh complaint, the survivor alleged that Mulakkal and his followers were disgracing her through a YouTube channel called ‘Christian Times’ and social media.
“Till now, he (Mulakkal) has made 14 applications seeking clarifications on the charge sheet filed against him. This is nothing but a delaying tactic so that they can buy time,” said Kochi-based Shyju Antony who is part of the collective Save Our Sisters, which has been supporting the protesting nuns and the survivor.
“We have seen that there has been every attempt to delay the case by the accused,” public prosecutor Jithesh Babu tells ThePrint. “We have a watertight case and we will ensure that it is brought to its logical end. He may be influential, but the police have done thorough investigations to ensure justice.”
In all, the Kerala Police has conducted extensive interviews of 83 witnesses, including three bishops, 11 priests and 24 nuns.
“Whether the nuns win the case or not, at the end of the day, they will be the ones who will face backlash from the church. There is no doubt about that and they should be prepared for it,” warns Shyju.
ThePrint made repeated efforts to connect with Mulakkal’s counsel, but there was no response.
The ‘influential’ Bishop
Born in Thrissur, Mulakkal was ordained as a priest in 1990 and lived in Rome from 1997 to 2001. In Rome, Mulakkal pursued his thesis on “A theological investigation into the moral teachings of Guru Nanak.”
He went on to work as the public relations officer of the Jalandhar diocese from 2006 to 2008 and was appointed an auxiliary bishop in Delhi in 2009.
Beyond the church, as the bishop, he also controls hundreds of educational institutions across the region.
It was as the public relations officer that Mulakkal is said to have developed connections with several high-profile people, including politicians, in Jalandhar and Delhi. It was the 54-year-old bishop’s extensive influence over Christians in Punjab and Haryana that made him a much sought-after clergyman.
“He was the man that the political parties approached if they wanted the Christian vote in the area,” says Shyju. According to him, this was primarily why Mulakkal was being shielded by the church.
“He was so powerful that even when the police went to Jalandhar to question him and arrest him, they were not allowed to meet the bishop for several hours,” claims a source closely associated with the case.
“It was only after an assurance was given by the Kerala Police to the bishop’s counsel that they would only question him and not arrest him that the bishop, who had fled from his official residence, returned.”
Also read: Why Bishop Franco Mulakkal is among the most powerful Christians in Punjab