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	Nun’s Suicide: Father Seeks State Help for Justice Indian Catholic August 14, 2008 http://www.theindiancatholic.com/report.asp?nid=11065 KOLLAM (ICNS): Father of the nun who committed suicide in Kerala met Chief Mnister V. S Achuthanandan and sought a high level enquiry, while expressing his lack of trust in a Church-conducted probe into the allegations of harassment. Pappachan told press that his daughter Sr. Anoopa Mary (23), hanged inside her convent on Aug.11 unable to suffer the sexual and mental harassment from convent superiors. Kollam diocese has instituted an inquiry into the situation that led to sucide of the nun. A suicide note that the nun left had blamed the convent superior of harassing her. Pappachan, after meeting chief minister on Aug. 13, told media that he has no faith in the enquiry initiated by the diocese and its sincerity in the matter. "Money is a strong factor in deciding turn of justice in our system and that the Church has always stood by those who had money power," he said the man, who works as cook in Kollam bishop’s house. “I do not trust these (Church) people and their sincerity enquiring about the death of my daughter. I have come here to seek the help of the Government in the legal steps that are to be followed," he said. The government has announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees to the deceased nun’s family. The chief minister has also promised media to “do all that is necessary” to conduct an impartial probe into case. Meanwhile diocesan spokesperson Fr. George Rebeiro at a press conference accused Marxit party workers of hijacking the case to exploit it for their narrow political gains. He read out a press statement from the congregation’s superior general Boniface Mary, denying all allegations “baseless.” Sister Boniface heads the Kollam-based congregation of Fransiscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary "Sr. Anoopa has taken the extreme step, in a state of mental depression," said the release was read out by Fr. Rebeiro. The Boniface did not attend the press meet. Fr. Rebeiro said some Marixts activist have been waiting for tarnishing the image of the Church. "This case is an example of how things could be turned around in favor of the communist party," he said. "Mr. Pappachan and his family has become a tool in the hands of the godless, to malign the Church and its faithful," he said.
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