KOTTAYAM: Members of the Kerala chapter of Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM) has demanded that the Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal be relieved of pastoral responsibilities as he is under police investigation for sexually abusing a nun. The ICWM, an ecumenical organisation of women from all churches, also wants the church to address the issue of sexual violence within it.The forum demanded constitution of Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs) for registering complaints of sexual harassment in all church-related organizations and institutions as demanded by the state. They also called for proactive steps to promote women’s dignity and gender justice in all churches.According to Kochurani Abraham, coordinator of ICWM-Kerala, the move is in the wake of the highly disturbing incidents of alleged sexual abuse in churches. “The members of ICWM-Kerala express our deep concern about the outcome of investigations and desire speedy justice for the women who are victimised by these untoward events. As Christian women representing the different Churches in Kerala, we stand in solidarity with the women who have come out courageously and spoken about their experiences of sexual violence. We hope that their boldness would make other women also daring to confront experiences of violation and not remain silent victims before abuse of any kind in the churches,” she said.“In this situation, we demand that perpetrators are not protected by those who hold power in churches and those affected by these crimes receive justice. We want to see a healthy introspection initiated in the churches against the backdrop of these issues of grave concern and corrective measures undertaken to counter them,” she added.

Stay updated with all the Latest Kochi headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.