Ex-Catholic Priest Jailed for Rape of Minor Girl Seeks Sentence Suspension to Marry Survivor

In a bizarre and appalling move, Robin Vadakkumchery, a former priest of the Roman Catholic Church, currently in jail for raping a minor girl four years ago, has moved the Kerala High Court seeking suspension of his sentence for two months to enable him to marry the girl, who has now attained the legal age for marriage. When the matter came up for consideration, the special public prosecutor for women and children opposed his plea seeking stating that the court cannot be made a forum for the marriage of a rape convict with the survivor as it would send a wrong message. The prosecutor also informed the court that Vadakkumcherry, who is in his 50s, was convicted by the trial court for repeatedly raping the 16-year-old girl at his presbytery in 2017 when he was a vicar of a church in Mananthavady diocese of Syro-Malabar Church. The crime had resulted in the impregnation of the girl. The prosecution submitted that there was no special circumstance warranting suspension of sentence.