Sexual assault: Nun to take legal action against Bishop

A nun, who accused a Roman Catholic Bishop of sexually assaulting her, today said she would go ahead with legal action against the top priest.

The nun told reporters here that she would go ahead with legal action against the Bishop but declined to speak further on the matter.

In her complaint to the Kottayam district police chief, the nun has alleged that Bishop of Jalandhar diocese of Roman Catholic Church had sexually abused her multiple times at a small town near here four years ago.

The nun alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse 13 times. She has said that she was abused for the first time in 2014 at a guest house near an orphanage in Kuravilangad region in the district.

The nun claimed that she had then complained to the church authorities about the abuse, but no action was taken. The victim said the unfavourable approach of the Church authorities towards her grievances forced her to lodge a police complaint in the matter.

Supporters of the Bishop have rejected the charges against the priest. They said the nun filed the police complaint after a priest, who is also an official of the Jalandhar diocese, lodged a complaint with police against her relatives on the charges of threatening the Bishop.

In his complaint, the priest has alleged that the relatives of the nun threatened to kill the Bishop after he ordered a probe against her on the basis of a complaint by wife of a person.

Based on the complaints of the nun and the priest, the police have launched an investigation. A Deputy Superintendent of Police ranking official is probing the case, police said. The priest, a Keralite, has been serving as bishop of Jalandhar diocese since 2013.

There was no immediate reaction from the Church authorities on the allegations.