Police just lately filed an FIR against the archbishop of Mumbai and two bishops for allegedly not acting against a clergyman accused of child molestation, nor informing the police in regards to the topic, despite lawsuits via the boy’s father. The transfer came after a different Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Posco) court docket directed the police to analyze the accusations.
CardinalOswald Gracias , Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes and Bishop John Rodrigues allegedly failed to do so when the incident came about, on November 27, 2015. Father Lawrence Johnson, 52, is on trial for allegedly abusing the teenage boy.
The father stated within the FIR: “On 1/12/2015 I registered my first complaint. In it I had issued a statement. My two sons had visited the church from eight.15 pm to eight.30 pm. After the prayers, the priest from the church, below the pretext of getting rid of the ornament, held them back. He handed over a box to one in all my sons and followed him within the office and shut the door.
“On November 28, 2015, at 10am, I referred to as my acquaintance to take official motion against the parish priest and sought after to meet Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes from the Salvation Centre in Dadar (West), but we have been informed that he used to be not found in office. He used to be referred to as three times but used to be unavailable all three times. So my acquaintance told the secretary in regards to the seriousness of our case and requested for the Bishop Savio Fernandes’ touch numbers. His office didn’t get back at all.
On November 29, the daddy and his acquaintance decided to manner the Bishop House inColaba to meet Cardinal Oswald Gracias, nevertheless it used to be the Sunday and they couldn’t meet him.
On November 30, when the acquaintance referred to as the cardinal, his non-public assistant at first stated he used to be headed for Rome and wouldn’t have the ability to come at the phone. The cardinal later agreed to meet the daddy.
The FIR stated: “I at the side of my spouse, son and acquaintance reached Bishop House and went to his cabin. My spouse narrated the incident to Cardinal Gracias and told him how the parish priest sexually abused our son even on August 20, 2015. He stated it used to be his responsibility at hand over the priest to the police but did not anything.
We additionally told him how we had communicated this to Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes but got no lend a hand in return and have been forced to manner the Bishop House. Cardinal Gracias stated that a committee can be shaped to seem into this topic and Father Okay T Emmanuel and Bishop John Rodrigues would give timely information.
The cardinal later left for Rome. When we requested him for a scientific exam of our son, we got no response. So we approached our family doctor, who stated it used to be a police case. We went to the police station to lodge a complaint. We have been then taken to Sion health center for a scientific exam, following which a complaint used to be lodged against the priest on December 1, 2015.”
The father stated that on December three, he got a call from Father Emmanuel and Bishop Rodrigues asking him to seek advice from Bishop House.
“Bishop John Rodrigues, Father KT Emmanuel have been provide at the side of 3 different priests. They heard us and took our signatures on some documents but if we requested for the documents, they didn’t give them to us.”
The father stated the family took four days to file the prevalence to the police as a result of they have been afraid of church retribution.
“To the most efficient of our wisdom the Archdiocese of Bombay is unaware of any FIR being filed against Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes, Bishop John Rodrigues and Cardinal Gracias. Whatever we all know is from the newspapers. We are within the process of acquiring qualified copies of the order and the proceedings,” the Archdiocese of Bombay’s press office stated in a statement. While Section 19 of the Pocso Act offers with reporting of sexual offences, Section 21(2) prescribes a most sentence of one yr’s imprisonment if a person in control of an institution fails to file an offence via a subordinate below his regulate.
Cardinal
The father stated within the FIR: “On 1/12/2015 I registered my first complaint. In it I had issued a statement. My two sons had visited the church from eight.15 pm to eight.30 pm. After the prayers, the priest from the church, below the pretext of getting rid of the ornament, held them back. He handed over a box to one in all my sons and followed him within the office and shut the door.
He removed his trousers and made him sleep at the bed and sexually abused him. On December 1, 2015, we lodged a complaint below the Posco Act and he used to be arrested after two days. I met any other father at the side of my son who at once faced the priest for this act of misdeed and he apologised, saying that he gained’t repeat it. After we left the premises, he referred to as up one in all my acquaintances and admitted to his crime and apologised.
“On November 28, 2015, at 10am, I referred to as my acquaintance to take official motion against the parish priest and sought after to meet Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes from the Salvation Centre in Dadar (West), but we have been informed that he used to be not found in office. He used to be referred to as three times but used to be unavailable all three times. So my acquaintance told the secretary in regards to the seriousness of our case and requested for the Bishop Savio Fernandes’ touch numbers. His office didn’t get back at all.
On November 29, the daddy and his acquaintance decided to manner the Bishop House in
On November 30, when the acquaintance referred to as the cardinal, his non-public assistant at first stated he used to be headed for Rome and wouldn’t have the ability to come at the phone. The cardinal later agreed to meet the daddy.
The FIR stated: “I at the side of my spouse, son and acquaintance reached Bishop House and went to his cabin. My spouse narrated the incident to Cardinal Gracias and told him how the parish priest sexually abused our son even on August 20, 2015. He stated it used to be his responsibility at hand over the priest to the police but did not anything.
We additionally told him how we had communicated this to Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes but got no lend a hand in return and have been forced to manner the Bishop House. Cardinal Gracias stated that a committee can be shaped to seem into this topic and Father Okay T Emmanuel and Bishop John Rodrigues would give timely information.
The cardinal later left for Rome. When we requested him for a scientific exam of our son, we got no response. So we approached our family doctor, who stated it used to be a police case. We went to the police station to lodge a complaint. We have been then taken to Sion health center for a scientific exam, following which a complaint used to be lodged against the priest on December 1, 2015.”
The father stated that on December three, he got a call from Father Emmanuel and Bishop Rodrigues asking him to seek advice from Bishop House.
“Bishop John Rodrigues, Father KT Emmanuel have been provide at the side of 3 different priests. They heard us and took our signatures on some documents but if we requested for the documents, they didn’t give them to us.”
The father stated the family took four days to file the prevalence to the police as a result of they have been afraid of church retribution.
“To the most efficient of our wisdom the Archdiocese of Bombay is unaware of any FIR being filed against Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes, Bishop John Rodrigues and Cardinal Gracias. Whatever we all know is from the newspapers. We are within the process of acquiring qualified copies of the order and the proceedings,” the Archdiocese of Bombay’s press office stated in a statement. While Section 19 of the Pocso Act offers with reporting of sexual offences, Section 21(2) prescribes a most sentence of one yr’s imprisonment if a person in control of an institution fails to file an offence via a subordinate below his regulate.
FIR against cardinal, 2 bishops for inaction
![FIR against cardinal, 2 bishops for inaction]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
June 04, 2019
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