Sister Anupama has been well known among Christians in general and Keralites in particular since 2018, thanks to her crusade against alleged sexual exploitation within the Catholic Church in Bharat. She has now renounced her nunhood and returned to her family. The sister is currently back at her residence in Alappuzha.
Anupama Kelamangalathuveliyil was one of six nuns who levelled rape allegations against the senior and highly influential Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Jalandhar Diocese.
A nun belonging to the Missionaries of Jesus Convent in Kottayam had accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her multiple times between 2014 and 2016.
Anupama and five other nuns defied pressure from the Church and stood firmly with the survivor. Although the case was registered, the Bishop—who presided over the Latin Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar—was not immediately arrested. Eventually, Anupama and her fellow nuns staged a dharna (sit-in protest) in Kochi. This drew public attention and led to widespread outrage. The Bishop was subsequently arrested on charges of wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex, and criminal intimidation. It was the first instance of a collective challenge by nuns against the powerful authority of the Catholic Church in Bharat.
Four of the six nuns were transferred by the Church in 2019. In response, the nuns reportedly wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking his intervention to stay the transfer orders until the conclusion of the trial. Despite facing antagonism and ostracisation, the nuns refused to leave their convent and remained steadfast in their support of the survivor. The survivor nun wrote to the Chief Minister, alleging that the Church’s “aim was to single her out, harass and torture her”, and that her life would be in danger if such a situation arose.
However, in 2022, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kottayam acquitted Franco Mulakkal. Following the verdict, Anupama told the media: “We will continue the fight until our sister gets justice. Even if we have to die, we will keep up the fight. Bishop Franco is a man with both money and muscle power.” The survivor has challenged the judgement, and the appeal is currently pending before the Kerala High Court.
After the judicial verdict, the six nuns continued to reside in the same convent. They affirmed that they would persist in their advocacy. However, over the past three years, two other nuns have also renounced their nunhood and left the Congregation.
The survivor nun had lodged a complaint with the Kottayam Police in 2018, stating that the Bishop had subjected her to sexual abuse. She also said that Church authorities failed to take any action against him, despite receiving her complaint. Bishop Mulakkal had previously filed a police complaint alleging that the nun’s relatives had threatened him. A case was registered in this regard.
The nun alleged that the Bishop sexually abused her in May 2014 when he came to attend a function in Kuravilangad, Kottayam district, and that he raped her 13 times over the subsequent years. She maintains that since lodging her complaint, she has been removed from her official position and accused of financial irregularities—actions she believes are retaliatory. The nun was serving in an institution under the Jalandhar Diocese, where Mulakkal held authority.
Kerala Police Deliberately Shelved the Investigation in the #NunRapeCase
The Statement of Facts submitted by KeralaPolice in Kerala HC suggests that police had found Bishop Franco culpable in August. But they deliberately avoided taking the matter furtherhttps://t.co/kxbItYPSbp
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) September 13, 2018
She also said that she had sent a letter of complaint to Cardinal Alencherry regarding the sexual abuse she had suffered. Later, a Malayalam TV channel reportedly aired audio of a phone conversation between her and Alencherry. During the call, the Cardinal is said to have acknowledged receipt of the letter but expressed his inability to take a public stance on the matter.
The entire story lays bare what happens within the Church. Its leading lights seem to forget the duties expected of them. They allow the public to conclude that the Church and priesthood are plagued by the same vices that afflict a degenerate society: lust for money, power—and worse.
Christian Cleric Kuriakose (60), who stood up against rape-accused #BishopFranco, found dead in Jhalandar on Monday morning. Kuriakose had given testimony to the Police against the Jhalandar Bishop Franco. His family alleges it’s a case of murder!
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) October 22, 2018
The case of Sr Anupama echoes a disturbing global pattern. In India, over hundreds of cases of clergy sexual abuse have surfaced in the past two decades. Globally, over 6,000 allegations have led to payouts exceeding $3 billion, including $750 million in the US alone. Even late Pope Francis and top Vatican authorities have publicly acknowledged the Church’s failure to act. These figures and confessions expose systemic abuse and a dire need for transparency and justice within the Church.
