New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of a rape survivor from Kottiyoor in Kerala seeking permission to marry her assaulter, a defrocked priest, who is now serving 20 years of imprisonment. The apex court also set aside a separate petition by the convict, 53-year-old Kerala Catholic priest Robin Vadakkumchery, seeking bail on the ground that he wanted to marry the survivor.
Earlier, Vadakkumchery had approached the Kerala High Court with a petition seeking to marry the victim, but it was turned down. He was serving as a parish vicar near Kannur and was the manager of the Church-backed-school, where the victim, was then a Class 11 student. A Childline agency that works with school children had registered the complaint against the priest. He came under pressure after the girl gave birth to a child on February 7, 2017, at a hospital run by the management.
Also read: Kerala 'rape' victim moves SC seeking permission to marry tormentor
The bench comprising Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Dinesh Maheswari observed that the High Court had taken into consideration all the aspects of the matter and therefore they did not wish to interfere. Vadakkumchery told the court that the right to marry is his fundamental right and therefore he should be given bail. However, the apex court declined to interfere.
The convict and the former priest, Robin Vadakkmucherry, has been undergoing 20 years of imprisonment for raping a minor who later gave birth to a child. In March last year, the Manthavady (in Wayanad district) dioceses officials informed the media that the Vatican, after going through all the process, decided to dismiss Vadakkumchery from the priesthood.
