THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (INDIA)
Agence France Presse
April 9, 2019
Police on Tuesday charged an Indian bishop with repeatedly raping a nun at a convent in Kerala state in a case that puts a new spotlight on sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church.
Franco Mulakkal was charged with raping the nun several times between 2014 and 2016, police deputy superintendent of Vaikom district, K. Subash, told AFP.
The bishop faces other charges including unlawful detention, unnatural sex and abuse of authority. Facing a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, Mulakkal has denied the allegations.
Vatican suspends Indian bishop accused of raping nun
Local media said the report backing the charges ran into more than 100 pages and contained testimonies from priests, bishops and nuns.
The victim filed a formal complaint in June last year, but police only started formal questioning in September after fury over the case mounted.
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