Kerala Nun Rape Case: FIR Against Father Father James Erthayil Who Lured Victim With 'Land, Building & Safety' to Withdraw Complaint
The police action came hours after the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate announced that they have asked Father James to step down from his post.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 30: The priest who attempted to lure a Kerala-based nun with "land, building and safety" to withdraw the rape case she has filed against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, has been booked by the Kerala police.
An FIR was registered in Thiruvananthapuram against Father James Erthayil of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) for influencing witness and criminal intimidation in Malankara Orthodox church case, after an alleged video clip of him threatening a nun went viral.
The police action came hours after the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate announced that they have asked Father James to step down from his post.
In the purported audio clip which has come out, Father James is heard attempting to convince the victim for withdrawing the rape case against the Jalandhar Bishop.
Apart from offering her money and land, the priest also issued a veiled threat to her if she refrains from withdrawing the police complaint.
Here is what he was heard saying in the audio clip:
"If you all are adamant on your stand, this won't happen. If you withdraw your complaint and go to one of your convents in Odisha, Andhra, threats may arise. But if you move independently and go under some other Bishop, there won't be any threats. It will be good if you think about this and if you decide to do this positively, I will help you in any way possible. I can't do everything, but will help in whatever I can do. In the sense that we can buy some land, build a house, shift them. They will support. I suggested this because they have said they will support."
Father James further tells the 46-year-old victim that she would be bought a 10-acre land where she can safely reside with her family. LatestLY cannot independently verify the content of the audio clip.
The Malankara Orthodox Church rape case came out after the victim approached the Kerala police, alleging the Church has turned a blind eye to her complaints of sexual assault. In the ordeal narrated by her, she claimed the Jalandhar Bishop raped her 13 times between 2014 to 2016.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2018 06:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).