Tamil Nadu: Catholic Church's support for convicted paedophile priest sparks outrage

The Roman Catholic Church in South India has shocked child rights activists after lifting the suspension on an Indian priest who was convicted in the US of sexual assault on two minors.

In August 2005, Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota (US), received a shocking complaint of a sexual assault on a minor by Father Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, who was at the time working with the church. Soon after the allegation, a second victim came forward, a young girl who also claimed she was sexually assaulted by the priest.

As the claims were brought forth, Jeyapaul, who hails from Tamil Nadu, unexpectedly returned to India and was asked not to come back to the US by Crookston Bishop, Victor Balke.

Despite repeated letters from Bishop Victor Balke of the Minnesota church, the Ootacamund Diocese in Tamil Nadu took no legal action against Jeyapaul. The Bishop's letters, stated he strongly believed Jeyapaul was guilty of sexual misconduct and financial misappropriation.

After 10 years of legal battles, a Minnesota court in 2015 finally convicted the priest and he was sentenced to a year in prison. However, based on a plea bargain, his sentence was reduced to a shorter term on the condition that he be banned from ministerial duties and had no contact with children. Jeyapaul finished his sentence and returned to India.

However, a recent report revealed that the Ootacamund Diocese had said the Church was not opposed to allotting a role to Father Jeyapaul in the church ministry. The news has sparked outrage in India and the US.

Sebastian Selvanathan, Spokesperson, Ooty Diocese told The NewsMinute, "He was released from the prison in USA through a court order. His case was then referred to the Doctrine of Faith in Rome. According to the direction from there, the suspension was lifted. He has not been given ministry now. If he is given, it will be given with certain restrictions."

Attorney Jeff Anderson of St Paul, Minnesota, who represented the two young girls in the case, criticised church authorities for lifting Jeyapaul’s suspension. "We are appalled that the Vatican and Bishop Amalraj lifted the suspension of convicted predator priest, Joseph Jeyapaul," Anderson said in a statement.

"It took years to reveal the truth of this predator’s history in Minnesota and as a result, he was criminally convicted... Jeyapaul repeatedly engaged in criminal sexual conduct with both survivors and we suspect he abused others as well," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Father Gyanprakash Topno, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India said he could not comment on the Ootacamund Diocese’s decision, The Quint reports. "We cannot comment on the decision sitting here in Delhi. It is the decision taken by the Ootacamund diocese. They must have reinstated him keeping in mind various factors that we cannot at the moment question. As far as I know he is not been given a position as yet," Father Gyanprakash is quoted as saying.

In 2010, at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, the church body had said that “any clergy member accused of sexual abuse would be suspended from all priestly duties, and in extreme cases, the Church would consider defrocking the priest”.

US media reports that Jeyapaul's victims have voiced concern about what the priest would do in India and urged that the public be warned of his past.