Kottiyoor rape case: Court awards 60 years of rigorous imprisonment to Kerala priest
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 16 (IBNS): In a significant verdict, the Thalassery POCSO Court on Saturday convicted Fr Robin Vadakkumchery of the Mananthavady diocese and awarded him 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl.
He has been awarded 60 years of imprisonment in three cases, media reports said.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs. 1 lakh on him.
The court, however, acquitted six people.
The acquitted people include five nuns and an administrator who had been accused of covering up the incident for lack of substantial evidence.
The court verdict against Father Robin was primarily on the basis of the victim's live birth certificate that showed that she was a minor in 2016 when the rape happened. Moreover, the DNA of the child born in 2017 matched with Robin's, proving unequivocally that he was behind the rape of the minor who was studying in a church run institution, reported The News Minute.
The girl had given birth to the child on Feb 7, 2017.
The priest was accused of raping the minor in 2016
The infant was reportedly shifted to Holy Infant Mary’s Foundling Home at Vythiri in Wayanad, run y the church after the baby was born.
The information was leaked and the Childline got an anonymous call, following which they conducted an enquiry, reported The Times of India.
The police later arrested the priest.
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