Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquittal: 'We are saddened. This is unbelievable'

The acquittal of Bishop Franco Mullakkal by a Kerala sessions court has come as a major setback for those who have been fighting to get justice for the nun who had levelled rape charges against the priest.

"We are very saddened. This is unbelievable to be very frank. That's because almost all the witnesses were all saying the same things. Bishop Franco has never ever questioned all these incidences. What he did do was question the integrity of the witnesses. That was the main reason. He used all social media platforms (to question the integrity of witnesses). This legal battle will continue," said Shyju Antony, joint convener of the Save our Sister forum.

To recall, the victim nun had in 2018 lodged a complaint before the Kottayam District Police Chief accusing Franco Mulakkal of allegedly raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. Mulakkal was the head of the Jalandhar diocese in Punjab then.

"We will question this verdict in upper courts and wherever possible. We are sure that Bishop Franco has committed this crime. We will leave no legal possibilities. We will continue the fight till the survivor gets her justice," Antony told Asianet News.

Also Read: Kerala nun rape case verdict: Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted; a brief timeline of events

Also Read: Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal acquitted, says ‘Praise the Lord’