Nun alleges sexual harassment for exposing cruelty against hearing impaired children, FIR lodged

PTI, Jun 9, 2022, 5:51 PM IST

Mysuru: A nun at the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy Mission here has alleged that she was assaulted and molested in connivance with some superiors of her religious congregation for exposing ”illegal and immoral” activities along with sexual harassment of many hearing impaired and mute children in the convent in Kodagu.

Acting on her complaint, the Ashokpuram police here have registered a case of sexual harassment, assault, provocation, and criminal intimidation against Sister Bindu, Sister Ann Mary, Sister Deepa, and drivers of the convent under Section 354(A) (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 392 (punishment for robbery), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Sister Margaret of the Mercy Convent said in a press release that the nun’s allegations were ”totally false and malicious”.

The nun has also said there is a threat to her life, in a video message, which has gone viral on social media.

In her complaint to the police, the 45-year-old nun said she had been associated with the Mercy Convent for the last 24 years. Since 1998, she has served in different convents across India.

The nun joined the Provincial House in Mysuru in March this year after working as the headmistress of the school for the hearing impaired in Kodagu district since 2018.

On May 31, her relative Bindu along with a driver tied her, beat her up, snatched her mobile phone, and gave her an injection due to which she fell unconscious, she said in her complaint.

The nun further alleged that when she became numb and weak due to the injection, she was dragged to the St Mary’s Mental Hospital, and the driver touched her private parts.

She added that she did not have the strength to resist his sexual advances. After he left, another person came and repeated the act, she alleged in the complaint.

”When I reported it to Sister Ann Mary, she threatened me that they will make me mentally unstable. The next day Sister Deepa too said the same will be repeated if you reveal these things to others. You will never be able to see the outside world ever,” the nun alleged in her complaint.

In the video, she said, ”I am sharing this video as I face a threat to my life. I have identified many activities happening here. Immoral activities, illegal activities, sexual harassment, and two murders.” “I have told people outside about this. They are ready to murder me for this. Hence, I am sending this to you. I am worried about my life. They may murder me. Or they may admit me to a mental hospital. I may even go missing. If that happens, I’m hoping for your help,” the nun added.

She later said there are about 35 hearing-impaired children in Mercy Convent’s school in Gonikoppa town of Kodagu district where the students are allegedly subjected to sexual harassment and many other atrocities.

The nun was appointed as the headmistress of the school in 2018. She has alleged that she was transferred to the convent in Mysuru after raising these issues with the congregation. ”When I told my superiors here, they started targeting me. My shoulder was swollen due to the injection given to me by them,” she said.

Sister Margaret of the Mercy Convent alleged that the nun from Belthangadi Diocese of Syro Malabar Rite was ”non-cooperative to her superiors, agitative and very aggressive”.

Margaret alleged that the nun recorded a video with allegations against her religious congregation and other nuns with an ulterior motive to tarnish the image of the Convent and blackmail them.