On July 21, Friday, the Shivamogga police in Karnataka arrested Father Francis Fernandes, a church priest, for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old minor girl from the Banjara (nomadic) community. The police booked the accused under stringent sections of the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Act. The Father was produced before the court and sent for 14 days of judicial custody.
Karnataka | Father Francis Fernandes, a church priest booked under POCSO for sexually abusing a minor at the college he was teaching at, which is affiliated with the church. The Father was produced before the court and sent for 14 days judicial custody: Shivamogga Police
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2023
The accused Father Francis Fernandes is the principal of Sacred Heart College under Shimoga diocese in Karnataka.
According to reports, the father of the victim said in his complaint that the Father sexually abused his daughter “in the name of love.”
Girish, a Banjara community activist said, “A girl from our community has been sexually harassed. A priest who is part of the Sacred Heart College has been accused of this. The girl is just 17 years old.”
The activist further stated, ”We have heard that the priest has a history of harassing young girls. The police have arrested him. The college had done nothing about this. We condemn this incident.”
After the crime came to the fore, members of the Banjara community stage protest outside the police station in Shivamogga against the church priest for allegedly sexually abusing a minor belonging to their community.
