Rape case: Catholic priest surrenders before police

A catholic priest, wanted in a case of alleged rape of a teenaged girl earlier this year, today surrendered before police at Aluva near here.

Police said Edwin Figarez, the priest attached to the Lourdes Matha Church, Puthenvelikkara in Ernakulam district, surrendered before Aluva Deputy SP P P Shams.

A lookout notice was issued against him after Kerala High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in May this year.

Police said he has been taken into custody by the probe team. The priest will be produced before the court tomorrow, they said.

Figarez had been missing ever since the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on May 5.

A spokesperson for Kottappuram Diocese had earlier said Figarez had been "suspended for the time being" from parish services after a pastoral commission appointed by the Bishop prepared a "preliminary report" about the alleged incident of sexual assault of the 14-year-old in a church complex between January and March this year, mostly when she came for confession.

In her complaint, the girl's mother had alleged that the priest abused her daughter many times when she sought his services for confession.