Priest Accused of Sexual Assault Serving in India
Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul is currently working at the Catholic diocese in Ooty (Tamil Nadu). Reports are now indicating that he is a wanted criminal who is accused of sexually assaulting a 14 year old female parishioner at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenbush, Minnesota (USA) in 2004.
The reverend has indicated that he has been told by officials of the Minnesota’s Crookston diocese not to return to the United States to face charges. The Vatican has been informed about the abuse scandal involving Joseph Palanivel but so far has not taken any disciplinary action against the priest.
Abuse of kids and teenagers by Catholic priests have been well documented in the West. But in countries like India very little light is shed on what is going on behind closed doors. Priests in Kerala have been accused of sexually assaults in the past. But very little is documented about what happens once the victim went public (interestingly in Kerala there has been decent coverage of priests abusing nuns but very little else).
To be fair sexual abuse by members of the clergy is not a Catholic problem alone. It exists in all religions. Jewish Rabbis and individuals like the Sai Baba have been accused of serious sexual misconduct in the past. But what has really angered the followers of the faith in the West is the fact that the system has not only violated their faith but also played a part in covering up and protecting the accused. The case of Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul is a classic example.
Why did Minnesota’s Crookston diocese want Rev. Joseph to stay in India and not face charges? That is not the right thing to do. The Church knows that the long reach of the American law might not be able to reach Rev. Joseph in Ooty. It wanted this case to be out of the local newspapers and the media. It was probably worried about its image and the impact that this case might have on its finances than on the doing what is morally the right thing to do.
But what about the rights of the teenager who claimed that she was abused? I would have expected the diocese to remain neutral but at the same time cooperate with the local police and make sure that that justice was delivered. In addition the Vatican and none of the diocese involved (the one in Minnesota and the one in Ooty) notified local law enforcement and community leaders in India that a person who is accused of a serious sexual assault in the United States is now living in their community. I wonder how many parents would send their children to this parish if they had access to this information. This type of behavior violates everything that the Church should stand for.
Whenever there is an abuse scandal in the church one of the first debates is whether or not we should allow priests to marry. Being married has very little to do with stopping sexual abuse. People who are married commit sexual offenses. Even if marriage is the solution then will the Catholic Church allow gay priests to also marry?
There is a need for comprehensive psychological evaluation prior to admission to the priesthood. The priests who are hired should also be provided training on how to maintain boundaries at work. The local law enforcement should be immediately informed when an abuse claim is made. Just informing the Vatican or the local Bishops are not enough. Overall there should be a sense of transparency and the victims and their families should get a sense of fair treatment.
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Category: Culture & Religion
Whats NEW.. everyday a new story and here was me wanting to become one myself ..
Some serious reform is needed.
Few people in India become priests to escape poverty. How can we expect such person to be truthful to his religion and his post? And in India these issues do not make headlinse due to vote politics. As our holy politicians do not like to hurt religious feelings!
Good point Moulee. I find that the media in India censoring itself over this issue.