“Father ‘falsely claims he raped his daughter to save priest from disgrace'” & related article

The father of a girl in India who was allegedly raped by a Catholic priest falsely claimed he committed the crime daughter in order to save the religious leader from disgrace, according to reports.

Police in Kerala said the biological father of a 17-year-old victim told them he was guilty of raping her last May, but it has since emerged that this was a lie in attempt to protect the reputation of a local priest, NDTV reported.

Robin Vadakkuncheril, bishop of the Mananthavady Diocese in Kerala, was arrested at the end of February on charges of raping the teenager last year, in what has been described as the worst sex scandal in the history of Kerala’s Catholic establishment.

Following the arrest of Mr Vadakkuncheril, 48, the girl’s father told the Indian Express: “The priest betrayed our family and our faith in the Church. After my daughter delivered the baby, he wanted someone to take responsibility for the birth. How could I find someone for this job?

“Finally, I had to falsely state that I was the father of my daughter’s baby. As a believer, I also wanted to avoid the disgrace falling on the priest and the Church.”

The father, a farm labourer, added that when he discovered his claim to have raped his own daughter would lead to years of imprisonment, he decided to report what he said was the truth.

The girl, who recently gave birth to the baby, told police the priest had raped her in the place where the church provided computer lessons.

Investigating officer Sunil Kumar said police are searching for at least five nuns who allegedly helped the priest cover up the rape and subsequent pregnancy.

The case is one of several in which Indian priests have been accused of abusing minors, indicating that scandals that have convulsed the Catholic Church in the United States, Europe and Latin America have not spared Asia.

In 2011, the Asian bishops’ conference convened a special meeting on abuse and warned that “drastic and immediate measures” were needed to deal with the issue.

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Christian Dad claims falsely that he raped own daughter – in order to protect priest

Christianity Today

13 March 2017

Ruth Gledhill Editor

A Christian dad in India claimed falsely that he had raped his own daughter in order to ‘protect the priest and the Church’ after she became pregnant and had a baby.

The truth of the father’s ‘confession’ has emerged after police arrested Fr Robin Vadakkuncheril, 48, of the Mananthavady diocese, in what is the most serious sex scandal ever to emerge from the Catholic establishment in Kerala, according to India Express.

Vadakkuncheril was arrested last Thursday on charges of raping the girl, aged 17, in his parish of St Sebastian’s in Kottiyoor. He was detained through the weekend.

The father, a farm labourer, told India Express: ‘The priest betrayed our family and our faith in the Church. After my daughter delivered the baby, he wanted someone to take responsibility for the birth. How could I find someone for this job? Finally, I had to falsely state that I was the father of my daughter’s baby. As a believer, I also wanted to avoid the disgrace falling on the priest and the Church.

‘But I realised the seriousness of the crime after police arrested me as the rapist of my own daughter. They told me that I would be jailed for several years. That was when I revealed the name of the priest.’He said the priest paid the hospital bill for the birth.

Police said the priest raped the girl during the summer holidays last year when she was working on the parish computers.

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Last week, police arrested Fr Robin Vadakkuncheril, 48, of Mananthavady diocese, on charges of raping the minor in his parish at St Sebastian’s Church in Kottiyoor. On Thursday, a court in Thalassery allowed police custody of the accused through the weekend.

But at this home on a hill, that’s of little consolation to the middle-aged couple and their five minor children. “The priest betrayed our family and our faith in the Church. After my daughter delivered the baby, he wanted someone to take responsibility for the birth. How could I find someone for this job? Finally, I had to falsely state that I was the father of my daughter’s baby. As a believer, I also wanted to avoid the disgrace falling on the priest and the Church,’’ says the father, a farm labourer.

“But I realised the seriousness of the crime after police arrested me as the rapist of my own daughter. They told me that I would be jailed for several years. That was when I revealed the name of the priest,’’ he says. “Robin paid the hospital bill of Rs 30,000 for the delivery and promised to do any penance for his sin. But he betrayed my daughter by trying to escape from India,” says the father, before denying allegations that the family had accepted money from the priest to hush up the rape.

The mother of the girl insists that there was little to suspect in the priest’s behaviour. “On most occasions, there would be women at the parsonage. Those women, once recruited by the priest to study abroad, used to call him ‘papa’. There had been no warning about the priest’s conduct. But unfortunately, our daughter has become a victim,’’ she says.

Police said the priest raped the girl during the summer vacation last May. At the time, she was engaged in entering data in the parish computer, along with some other girls. “There were a few others at the parsonage. But the priest assaulted the girl when she was alone in the building. She was threatened not to reveal the incident to anyone at home or school,’’ says the father.

The family says neither they nor teachers at her school noticed any changes in the girl, who attended class even a day before the delivery. “Her menstrual cycle was irregular, but we didn’t have any doubts about any pregnancy. Otherwise, who would wait until delivery?’’ says the mother.

But the couple say they are still “faithfully loyal” to the Church. “We are part of the Charismatic movement, a reformation movement in the Church. After our fifth child was born last year, we were honoured by the Pro-Life Movement of the diocese, which promotes bigger families,” says the father. As for their daughter, the family says she has been recovering fast. “She has been going to school since Wednesday to appear for her Class 11 examination. She is determined to fight back by focusing on her studies,” says the mother.