Supreme Court ‘Disturbed’, ‘Shocked’ By Reports of Rape Cases Against Priests In Kerala 

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the spate of rape cases reported against Christian priests in Kerala, terming it “shocking and disturbing”. The New Indian Express has reported that an apex court bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made these remarks during the hearing of a case involving the rape of a minor by a priest in a church at Kotiyoor in Kerala’s Malabar district.

The minor was raped in 2016 and has given birth to a child that has been handed over to a care home.

Bearing in mind the recent reports that have been coming out of Kerala of sexual abuses by church priests, the judges said they were shocked.

Several sexual abuse cases in the church have made national headlines recently, many of them coming from Kerala. First, a woman complained that she was raped by a priest when she went for a confession. The priest took advantage of the incident and began blackmailing her. Four other priests also sexually abused the women for over a decade allegedly. The woman’s husband has now complained to police about the abuse. Church authorities, however, have been accused of trying to cover up the case.

In another case, a nun of Missionaries of Jesus was allegedly raped by the Bishop. Though the incident happened two years ago, it has come to light after the Bishop tried to wriggle out by complaining against the nun. The Bishop and other priests of the Church were again accused of trying to buy over the nun promising her cash and land.

While the National Commission for Women has taken the incidents seriously and has even asked that confessions at churches be stopped, the Church in Kerala is trying its best to protest the priests.