Lissy Vadakkel
Lissy Vadakkel TOSF is an Indian Roman Catholic nun and member of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation. She is a key witness in the rape case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal.
In June 1989 Vadakkel was one of four nuns to establish a Catholic school at the Alphonsa Convent in Ramakrishnapur for children of employees at the Singreni Collieries Company.[1]
Vadakkel testified in 2018 as a key witness in the rape case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar.[2][3] After testifying, Vadakkel was confined in a guest house in Muvattupuzha.[4] In February 2019 Sister Alphonsa Abraham, superior of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation's Nirmala Province, and three of her deputies were charged by Kerala police for wrongful confinement of Vadakkel.[5][6][7][8] In April 2019 she became the first person in India to receive government protection as a "Group A witness" under a new law to protect witnesses in sensitive court cases. The protection was ordered on April 9 by the district judge of Kottayam.[9]
References
- ^ "Alphonsa Convent, Ramakrishnapur". FCC Nirmala Province,Vijayawada. 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ^ Jaikrishnan Nair (12 April 2019). "Kerala nun rape case: State asked to give protection to key witness nun". Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ^ "Ultimatum to Sr Lissy: Move or face the law". The New Indian Express. The New Indian Express. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ^ "Order explains transfer of nun who spoke against rape-accused bishop in India". Catholic News Agency. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ^ "Indian nuns charged with confining rape witness". ucanews.com.
- ^ "Nun who protested against rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal claims threat to life". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Return to Vijayawada by March 31; FCC tells Sr Lissy Vadakkel". Mathrubhumi.
- ^ "Convent gives ultimatum to sister Lissy Vadakkel to leave Kerala and report to Vijayawada". The News Minute. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ India, Matters (12 April 2019). "Nun who reported bishop accused of rape receives witness protection". Global Sisters Report.
