Kerala priest accused of raping minor girl in hiding

After the Kerala police on Tuesday registered a case against a Catholic priest on charges of allegedly raping a minor girl from the same community, the accused has gone into hiding, police said. Ernakulam rural police said the accused Father Edwin Figarez (41) belonged to the Kottappuram Catholic Diocese.

Police said the girl had been assaulted several times since January and the last incident was on March 28. The girl revealed the trauma to her family a few days back after which the her mother filed a complaint. Sources said Figarez was a composer of Christian devotional songs and had allegedly lured the girl by exploiting her interest in music.

While the spokesperson of Kottappuram Diocese was not available for comment, a receptionist at the bishop’s house said all priests were engaged in the observance of the Passion Week.

Last May, a young Catholic priest of Thrissur Diocese had been arrested on charges of raping a nine-year-old girl.

Source:: Indian Express