Sister Lucy Kalapura, one of the five nuns who stood in support of the nun who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal in a rape case, on Saturday said that she was being starved at the convent as authorities have been depriving her of food to force her out of the church.
According to the reports, the 52-year-old nun accused the authorities of denying food but she said she will remain at Franciscan Clarist Congregation’s convent even if she was starved to death.
“I have filed three complaints against the convent authorities but police failed to take action in any of them. It seems the police are scared to take action against authorities who trouble me,” she added.
Sister Lucy is one of the five nuns who led the protests against Bishop Franco last year, who had alleged that there are efforts being carried out to sabotage evidence to protect rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.
In a bid to silence the protesting nurse, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) had written to the family of another protesting nun – Sister Lucy Kalapurakkal to take her back home after she was expelled from the congregation. Sister Lucy Kalapurakkal had last year supported the victim nun and had demanded the arrest of rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar.
Shockingly, Sister Kalapura said that the harassment against her has increased after her autobiography was released in December last year. She said she had filed another petition to the Vatican questioning her expulsion and that she expected a favourable reply from the supreme head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.
“If the police take some action, my tormentors will prevail. But they haven’t taken any action fuelling more harassment. Despite all the troubles, I will not leave the convent,” she said adding she will move the court soon.
Read: Bishop Franco case: Sister Lucy alleges illegal confinement by convent, case registered
Recently, Sister Lucy Kalappura had come out with her autobiography in which she recounted sexual abuses and aberrations prevalent in convents. The nun, who belongs to the order of Franciscan Clarist Congregation in Kerala, was hounded for raising her voice against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, narrates her life experiences and talks about sexual abuse and harassment of nuns in the book titled ‘Karthaavinte Naamathil (In The Name of The Lord)’
Reportedly, the book reveals how Sister Lucy was a silent witness to many incidents where nuns have tried to give expression to their sexual desires. In the book, the nun reveals that many of the nuns have ‘unholy’ relationships with priests who are in authority and added that the priests encourage such relationships.
The book also writes regarding how the priests try to abuse not only nuns but also young girls as well. In the book, she writes how she heard of instances where priests have sexual relationships with nuns. Sister Lucy writes about the abuse young nuns face from priests and elder nuns. Further, she claims that homosexuality is rampant among nuns and priests.
Franco Mulakkal, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, was accused of raping a 44-year-old nun at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and subsequent sexual exploitations afterwards. The nun had registered a complaint in June 2018 and has also claimed that despite her complaints, the church took no action on the bishop.