India Today
April 26, 2014 | UPDATED 17:18 IST
J Binduraj Kochi
Raju Kokken
A catholic priest is on the run since the police registered a case against him on Friday for raping a nine-year-old girl, who was attending church classes for receiving first Holy Communion.
The girl’s parents alleged that she was sexually assaulted several times in April and Fr Raju Kokken, 40, Vicar of the St. Pauls Church at Thaikkattussery in Thrissur, shot nude pictures of her in his mobile phone. Following the complaint and after internal inquiry, Thrissur Arch Diocese had ousted the priest from the Church.
According to Ollur Police, the girl was lured by the priest with promise of free robes for the Holy Communion and the Vicar raped the girl thrice in April in his office room. The girl, who hails from a poor family, was forced to go naked before him when the Vicar asked her to remove her clothes in the pretext of checking whether the Holy Communion dress suits her or not. The girl told police that she was sexually assaulted thrice by the priest afterwards. The girl said that the priest took her naked photographs in his mobile phone.
The police confirmed the rape after conducting a medical examination of the victim. The police registered the case against the Vicar under various non-bailable sections of the IPC and Section 66 (a) of the Information Technology Act.
The police have intensified search for the alleged rapist.
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Indian priest charged with raping 10-year-old girl
Suspect allegedly lured victim by purchasing dress for girl’s first communion, police say
ucanews.com
India
April 25, 2014
reporter, Thiruvananthapuram
Police in Kerala are looking for a 44-year-old Catholic priest who is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl three times.
The girl’s parents on Thursday filed a complaint against Father Raju Kokken of St. Paul’s Parish in Kerala. According to the complaint, the victim was sexually assaulted on April 8, 11 and 24.
The Thrissur district police charged the priest with rape. They also charged him under the information and technology act for digitally recording the sexual act.
City police commissioner P. Prakash told ucanews.com that police have started a manhunt for the priest, who went missing after the victim lodged the complaint.
Police have recorded the victim’s statement in which she alleged that the priest molested her while she was changing into a dress the priest purchased for the girl’s first Communion. The priest also recorded the sexual act on a mobile phone, police said.
“The girl belongs to a poor family and the priest lured her to his room and offered her a new dress for her holy Communion,” Prakash said.
The priest’s mobile phone was found to have been switched off since yesterday.
Trichur Archdiocesan spokesman Fr Geo Kadavil said the Church would take action against the priest if the allegations were true, the Indian Express has reported.
“We are trying to understand the truth. Definitely, he would face action as per the Church law,” said Kadavil.
That poor dear child. Nine years old. Lured by a priest offering a pretty new dress for her First Communion.
Yes, poor little girl. Shame on the Priest what he is “assigned” to do and what he “wants” to do.
came here after watching Spotlight
Just Finished watching Spotlight…. I was horrified seein Ollur in the List… Just went to Thrissur via Ollur yesterday…. Atleast the church didn’t try to protect him….
What happened in that Parish was never reported they were young and afraid. The person with a priest colar, scares young altar boys. Because, they had done somethings very bad, and to tell anyone .they will go to he’ll and so will their parents. Those little boys grew up. One left and went very far away came home after 15 years, the other had 3 suicides attemp stayed 3 months in hospital. They told us 5yrs ago. We are devasteted I (am falling apart,,they don’t what and can not do anything because that priest died.( same priest that hurt me ).
same here!!
I literally came here 5 mins after watching Spotlight. Man this is messed up.
i swear. me too. spotlights too good
same here bro came here after watching spotlight
I also came to know thos after watching movie Spotlight
Same here….I came to know from SPOTLIGHT as well. What a brilliant film..:)
me too…
Spotlight got me here. Good work.
Well. You’ve got company.
me also
after watching SPOTLIGHT
i m another one .. just finished SPOTLIGHT….
Under shadow of GOD how can they ….. what is wrong with people…
i was faculty at one of the community college at chhattisgarh for past 2 years… i am all messed up now… i cant think straight
im pretty sure such things happens in other religions like hinduism and islam too, i came here after watching spotlight as well, now im asking myself, does religion really benefits us as a human being, or as said in the movie OMG, it urns u into a terrorist or absolutely powerless…
It’s more the vow of celibacy that causes it IMO.
Spotlight is a movie that has affected many viewers…I’m thanking those who produced the movie, those who exposed the abuse, and more importantly, those of you have have stepped forward to post comments on this website.
I’m here now after watching the movie spotlight. And I was quite shocked to see Kerala on that list. I don’t understand why these people even want to be a priest in the first place. Like said in the movie they are abusing kids both physically and spiritually. And why kids? They can go to some adult if they have such urge. These people should be severely punished.
Same here.. Was shocked to see Ollur, India in the list..
Where can I get a DVD of Spotlight?
You should be able to rent it now at any video rental outlet. We were able to pick it up at our corner store!
I saw spotlight and saw the mention of ollur, India. I knew it was in Kerala and thrissur and just wanted to confirm it. All I typed in was Ollur and the automatic prompt Google gave me was ollur church scandal. I was just shocked. A lot of things come to light when you watch some movies and spotlight is one such. It’s a pity that priest do such things, shameful!
In fact after watching the movie “spotlight”, I was not able to think straight, well , as commented , at least here the law took course. In fact, the maximum number of deaths on earth is due to religion than natural calamities.
“In fact, the maximum number of deaths on earth is due to religion than natural calamities.”
Ravi, I agree and I like the questioning of “religion”, or the human “misguided interpretations of the Divine intentions.”
We just haven’t figured out yet that only the “language” is different, as in a family there are different “personalities” which understand, or misunderstand, the Father’s guidance…
We are still struggling because the “religions” believe they are the Truth when it is more than ever their time to ”listen”…without the arrogance!
Beyond just the word, “relative-ity” can be the source or the abyss…
It is an enlightened choice we all have to make.
You are a stranger, you are a Brother and real life has to get beyond the horror of the movies if we are to survive.
Take care. Be good to your “family”.
jg
It has been well exposed in Spotlight.
Kalai Raj,
I did not see this movie yet, if your comment was directed at me. Eventually I will see it. The reality of it all has been sufficient so far…..
jg
For many years I resided in London, England. The issue of the appointment of Indian Roman Catholic clergy to parishes in England has perplexed me. Most are appointed to parishes that are deemed as ‘failing’-a euphemism for falling revenues and declining mass attendance. The said Indian clergy are only too grateful to be granted a UK visa and residency in the country- no matter what the spiritual/material state of the parish.
What is clear is that they will do little if anything to ‘revive’ or ‘reverse’ the freefall of that parish. Quite often it is an opportunity for relatives of the cleric to arrive and move into the rectory under the title of ‘housekeeper’,’cook’ or ‘ parish secretary’. It is the economic advantages that satisfy them not the revival in fortunes of the parish. Ultimately it is closes and the parish is suppressed.
It is interesting to see this story concerning Raju Kokken. I suspect many Indian Roman Catholic clergy have been more fortunate than he in being able to deflect police investigation regarding their sexual activity around children and been sufficiently manipulative enough to secure from accommodating bishops and religious superiors ‘references’ facilitating their departure to more economically friendlier nations as well as monies to secure the silence of the victims.
As for Kokken? He may well be out of the jurisdiction and preparing to reinvent himself elsewhere. The family of the alleged victim must be commended for their integrity in their decision to move against this priest and not accept a ‘payoff’ from the said priest or diocese/religious order.
Yet another story of the church and its relationship with the poor, vulnerable and marginalised. Treat them as objects to be used and abused and ultimately thrown away.
Rachael;
Closer to my original home (Pembroke) we are seeing the same phenomenon. It appears in our case here that the resultant shortage of new priests and/or calls to the priesthood is causing the church to look elsewhere to fill their pastoral needs.
I agree with, and appreciate your comments. Mike.
At the Chrism Mass in our Diocese last week, 10 of the 18 priests (including bishop) was black, mostly from India, not sure where else.
Just completed Spotlight !!
Man, India is also on the list…
can anyone tell me, is he(priest) get caught ??
An addendum to my previous comment;
I refer readers to the following link;
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-priest-investigation-recordings-20160205-story.html
The Sun Sentinel reports on another scandal to hit the befall the Palm Beach diocese in Florida. The center of attention should be the Indian Franciscan priest charged with offences involving a minor in the parish he had been assigned to in the diocese. Instead and bizarrely it is the parish priest who reported the Indian priest Rev. Jose Palimattom who is now the news.
I leave readers to make up their own minds regarding this situation where the bishop seems to have learned little from the criminal antics of his predecessors in that diocese.
If blog readers have forgotten what exactly has happened in the Palm Beach diocese I refer them to this link;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_abuse_scandal_in_the_Catholic_diocese_of_Palm_Beach
Three diocesan bishops involved in sex abuse’ it truly beggars belief and now this…..
Even after all this, these child abuses going on? Church, school, home, neighbourhood and everywhere….
after watching Spotlight, India in List, was shocked!! me Catholic too, why no one talks about it?
Spotlight brought me here!
Happy to hear that priest got arrested!
this kind of things really question my faith ….whats the church stance on this?so being a priest makes u a pedophile…..the quote from spotlight got me furious and made me wanna kill these bastards!!-“They knew and they let it happen! To KIDS! Okay? It could have been you, it could have been me, it could have been any of us. We gotta nail these scumbags! We gotta show people that nobody can get away with this; Not a priest, or a cardinal or a freaking pope!!”
i am here bcz of “spotlight” ,, they hve done a great work .atleast now this is reveled…,thank god for that .
I am another one who got here after watching spotlight
What should be our next step…
Do we just comment on this site, read another’s comments and be happy?
Isn’t it the duty of the enlightened, those who are aware: to teach and to guide those that are blind and unaware of this.
It is our moral obligation, our responsibility to question the status quo of things.
Why must we wait for a child to fall victim and then take action?
Why can’t we nip this thing in the bud, stop it before it happens. Why can’t we take pre-emptive action?
Why wait for a child to be scarred for life, to catch one of those “scumbags”?
And who says, that this does not happen in other religions; it does.
It’s not a consequence of celibacy.
It’s a disease of the mind, not unlike other psychiatric ailments. But, it cannot be treated. Probably, unchecked lustful passion from being deprived, have twisted the human being, to a horrendous individual, who cannot discern between angels and humans.
It probably can be treated but, that’s just me venting.
I am not going to sit on my hands, in this matter. But my reach is limited to my nation. If all those, on this site, go on and do something, in their nation, for all those little angels, who light up the day with their smile; if there is a God, he will bless you.
This man was arrested in May of 2014 on the basis of the allegations against him. Can anyone shed some light on what has happened regarding he charges, and where is this man right now? Mike.
I really hope this isn’t another Jose DaSilva escaping justice. Please let the world know where this man is and what he’s up to! Mike.
My apologies! In the previous post I referred to Jose DaSilva. I meant to post Jose Silva, a fugitive from Canadian justice. Mike.
Right you are Mike. A fugitive. And a beneficiary of a sweet sweet deal struck between defence and Crown allowing Father Jose Silva to elude justice and head back to Brazil.
There is a warrant out for his arrest.
For those unfamiliar with Father Silva, click here to see Mike’s efforts to see justice done.
Came here minutes after watching Spotlight. No words are enough to condemn these kinds of incidents.
In addition to my previous comment. Sad to say it’s not the only case in India. Please follow the link for more stories. http://m.indiatoday.in/story/raju-kokken-kerala-churuch-priest-molesting-girl/1/359105.html
I just re-watched Spotlight today but only just realised that Ollur which is in Thrissur, India was on the list during the end credits. It really got to me because I am currently residing in Thrissur, my hometown. This is vile and disgusting. I hope the victim can recover from the deep physical and emotional scars this pathetic excuse for a human being has left on her.