Two alleged Catholic “lay brothers’ accused of raping five women have surrendered to a court in the southern Indian state of Kerala amid claims of a cover-up. Police had been hunting Patrick George and Josey George since June 26, after the women, including a 16-year old, said the pair had raped them at a spiritual center.
The two men surrendered at the Mannarkad Magistrate’s court in Palakkad district on June 29.
Josey George was later given bail after being accused of molestation, but Patrick George was remanded in custody on charges of attempted rape.
The two men allegedly abused the women at Karunnya Ashram, an orphanage and spiritual counseling center they ran in Agali, a remote tribal village in the district.
The women, who ran away from the center, reportedly told police the men had raped and molested them over a three month period during “counseling” sessions.
The state social welfare department has since closed down the center, which it says had no operating license.
The 35 young people staying at the orphanage, including 10 girls, were moved to a juvenile home run by the state welfare board.
The home had no qualified counselors, board chairperson Girija Surendran told ucanews.com.
“We never knew such a center was functioning in the tribal village,” she said.
Some activists, however, are accusing the authorities of a cover-up.
The victims said three people raped and mentally tortured them, “But police have made no mention of a third accused” because he is “related to a senior police official,” Tony Joseph, a social activist in Mannarkad told ucanews.com.
Television journalist C.K. Vijayan, who has followed the case, questioned the charges brought against the brothers.
The women spoke explicitly about the rapes to the media, he said. “But now the police charge sheets contain less serious indictments concerning their ordeal,” he said.
SIC: CTHIND