Thalassery: The prime accused in the Kottiyoor rape case, Fr Robin Vadakkumcherry, was held guilty by a court here on Saturday.
He was accused of sexually exploiting and impregnating a 16-year-old girl at Kottiyoor in Kerala's Kannur district.
Vadakkumcherry has been sentenced to a total of 60 years rigorous imprisonment, with 20 years each on three counts as per the POCSO Act.
However, the imprisonment will be only for 20 years as the terms would run concurrently.
Thalassery POCSO Court Judge P S Vinod also slapped a fine of Rs 3 lakh on the 51-year-old priest. Half of the fine amount will be given to the victim.
The court also ordered criminal proceedings against the victim's parents for covering up the case.
The girl's custody has been given to Legal Services Society.
The case
The rape case from Kottiyoor came to light after the victim delivered a baby boy on February 7, 2017, at Christuraja hospital in Koothuparamba in Kannur.
The child was taken to an adoption centre in Vythiri, Wayanad.
After the Childline India officials intimated the police, a case was registered on February 27, 2017, by the Peravoor police.
When the police questioned, the 16-year-old girl's father admitted to raping his daughter.
The girl's statement also backed this claim. However, it was on the basis of secret information received at the NGO Childline that Fr Robin Vadakkumchery was arrested.
Robin, who was the vicar of the local church at Kottiyoor in Kannur district, was arrested on February 28, 2017.
The Kerala High Court had on March 14, 2017, directed Fr Thomas Joseph Therakam, Betty and Sr Ophelia and one Thangamma, a midwife who had moved for bail, also accused in the case, to surrender before the investigating officers within five days.
Fr Therakam, Betty Jose and Sr Ophelia, charged with covering up the rape of a minor girl, surrendered before the investigating officer on March 17, 2017.
Though 10 people were initially arrested in the case, two doctors and an administrator of the hospital were later removed from the list of accused after they approached the Supreme Court.
The trial in the case commenced in the POCSO court, Thalassery, on August 1, 2017.
The six other accused - Sr Lis Maria of Christudas convent, Sr Anita of Kallumutty convent, Fr Thomas Joseph Therakam, former chairman of Wayanad Child Welfare Committee (CWC), CWC member Dr Sr Betty Jose, and Sr Ophelia, the superintendent of the Holy Infant Mary Mandiram, Vythiri – have been acquitted.
The officials of the orphanage had alleged that the CWC did not take any action even though they had informed it about the case of a newborn brought there on February 8, a day after the infant was brought there.
Witnesses turn hostile
The victim as well as her family had turned hostile in the case.
However, the prosecution relied on the the statement of the government doctor.
As it was established that the girl was a minor, any sexual relation, even if it had the minor's consent, could only be considered a rape, it contended.
The statement of the doctor turned out to be crucial as the victim as well as the CWC turned hostile and gave statements in favour of Fr Robin.
The POCSO special court commended the foolproof investigation carried out by the investigation officer and then Peravoor CI Sunil Kumar.
