Kochi: Another Kerala nun on Friday accused former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, of sexual abuse. The nun is the 14th witness in the rape case against Mulakkal, who is out on bail in a case of sexually assaulting a nun between 2014 and 2016.
In her statement to the police, she alleged that between 2015 and 2017, they had spoken over phone several times and the Bishop made sexually coloured and lewd remarks. She alleged that the Bishop used to "make video calls and talk about sex".
The nun further said that she never told anyone about the incident as she was scared of the Bishop and being thrown out of the convent.
Recalling an incident that took place on April 30, 2017, the nun said that when the Bishop visited the convent and spoke to her in his room, "he hugged and kissed her on her forehead". This nun is also from the missionaries of Jesus congregation.
Police sources said that the witness was not ready to file a complaint against the Bishop. According to a police official, "After getting the witness statement, they had alerted the jurisdictional police about it but when the team met her, she refused to file a complaint."
There is at least one more nun who has given a statement of sexual assault against the Bishop, the police source added.
Mulakkal who was arrested on September 21, 2018 on rape charges, got bail on October 16, 2018. The Kerala Police has filed a 1,400-page chargesheet against him.
The chargesheet names 83 witnesses, including the Cardinal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Mar George Alencherry, three bishops, 11 priests and several nuns. After the case came to light, Mulakkal was removed as head of the Jalandhar diocese.
Bishop Franco had filed a discharge petition, to which the prosecution has filed an objection and the case is up for hearing on Saturday.
(with IANS inputs)
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