Franco case survivor Nun claims isolation, intimidation

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 10 A nun who survived alleged sexual abuse by a Bishop has spoken out about the ordeal she has endured over the past eight years, alleging isolation, intimidation and institutional silence.

Speaking to Asianet TV, Sister Ranit said her present life feels as though her “hands and legs are tied,” as she continues to face social ostracism and uncertainty even years after the complaint was made.

Recalling the aftermath of raising the abuse allegation within the Church, the survivor said she was immediately isolated.

She alleged that three nuns were forced to leave the congregation due to sustained harassment, including stone-pelting, following the controversy.

The remaining three, including herself, now survive by doing tailoring work at the convent, she said, adding that it was the continued silence of the diocese leadership that eventually pushed them out.

Sister Ranit further alleged that Bishop Franco attempted to implicate her family members and fellow nuns in false cases, and that there were nuns within the convent who actively supported him.

She also dismissed allegations that the complaint was motivated by money, stating that she has not received even a single rupee from either the diocese or Bishop Franco.

Responding to questions on why she remained silent despite repeated abuse, the survivor said fear was the overriding factor.

A nun, she explained, is taught that moral purity is paramount, and once society is told that it has been violated, expulsion from the congregation becomes inevitable.

She said she was personally aware of several women who were forced to leave the convent under similar circumstances and were later labeled as having “run away from the convent,” a stigma that brings lifelong shame not only to the individual but also to their family.

It was this fear, she said, that compelled her to suppress the truth for years and continue living within the convent.

Sister Ranit added that similar experiences exist in several convents, but remain largely unspoken due to fear and social pressure.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal served as head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar from 2013 until his arrest in 2018 on charges of raping a nun, becoming the first Catholic Bishop in India to be arrested in a rape case.

In January 2022, a Kerala district court acquitted him of all charges after examining the testimonies of 39 witnesses, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Despite the acquittal, the supporting nuns continue to pursue their cause. Following sustained controversy, Mulakkal was asked by the Vatican to resign, and Pope Francis accepted his resignation in June 2023.

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