After shaming and maligning the 44-year-old nun who accused Jalandhar diocese Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her multiple times, Missionaries of Jesus went one step ahead and released the picture of the nun along with a statement to the media on Friday.
Attaching a photo of the survivor sitting with Bishop Franco Mulakkal at a private function on May 23, 2015, the congregation conveniently washed its hands off the responsibility of the picture becoming public. The last line of the press statement says that the picture is just for the evidence and that MJ would not be responsible if the picture becomes public.
According to Missionaries of Jesus, the photograph was taken a day after the first incident of alleged rape took place. And according to them, the fact that the nun can be seen sitting in the company of the bishop was proof that she had not been sexually assaulted the previous day.
Their statement says, “The Missionaries of Jesus has understood that the allegations about the Bishop repeatedly raping the nun multiple times between 2014 and 2016 is false and is part of a conspiracy. In the month of May in 2015, the sister had invited the Bishop for a function and even after that, it has been found that the sister has taken part in a lot of functions with the Bishop. Any woman, who was raped by a man, would never attend functions or travel with that man. This is a truth that cannot be denied.”
It also said that other pieces of evidence to prove that the nun's allegations were part of a conspiracy will be handed over to the investigators as and when they are discovered.
According to law, publishing the identity of a person against whom offences under section 376 (rape), is alleged to have been committed is an offence by itself. It is punishable with imprisonment and a fine imposed by the court.