NEW DELHI – An Indian court on Friday acquitted a Roman Catholic bishop who was accused of raping a nun in a rural convent.
Much ink has been spilled over the case as allegations of sexual assault multiply within the Church.
In a brief ruling, Judge G. Gopakumar said the bishop was not guilty of raping the nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal was present in Kottayam, in the south of the country, to hear the decision. His supporters cheered the judgment, shouting “Praise God!” as he left the courtroom.
A more detailed judgment is expected shortly.
Lawyers representing the nun have already announced their intention to appeal the verdict.
The police had accused Bishop Mulakkal of rape, unlawful confinement and intimidation. The nun said she went to the police only after complaining several times to church leaders.
Eventually, in an unprecedented movement, several of his religious sisters had organized public demonstrations to demand the arrest of the bishop in 2018. He was then detained, then released on bail after a few weeks.
Monsignor Mulakkal had official responsibility for the community of the nun, the Missionaries of Jesus, and therefore exercised immense influence over its budgets and the allocation of posts.
Bishop Mulakkal said he had nothing to be ashamed of and instead claimed that the nun pressured him for a better position.
In her complaint, the nun accuses Monsignor Mulakkal, who was at that time the bishop of the diocese of Jalandhar in the northern state of Punjab, of repeatedly raping her during visits to his convent in Kuravilangad, in the state of Kerala.
Pope Francis admitted publicly for the first time, in February 2019, that nuns are sexually abused by priests or bishops, and he promised to tackle the problem.