This nun was killed by priest and sister she caught engaged in a sex act. Nearly 3 decades later, justice is served

A autopsy examination revealed she had nail marks on each side of her neck and two lacerated wounds on her head. Her physique had a number of abrasions and she or he had sustained a fracture to her cranium.

Regardless of her wounds and the kitchen crime scene, nobody was dropped at court docket over Sister Abhaya’s homicide for 27 years. As an alternative, what adopted was years of dead-end investigations, plagued with allegations of corruption.

Lastly, final December, responsible verdicts have been handed right down to a priest and nun who had gone to extraordinary lengths to guard their illicit relationship. The court docket discovered Sister Abhaya had walked in on them whereas they have been participating a intercourse act within the kitchen, and killed her to hide their sins. They have been sentenced to life in jail.

After almost three a long time of combating for justice, her household have one overriding query.

“Why did it take so lengthy?” asks Sister Abhaya’s brother, Biju Thomas.

Failed investigations

When she died, Sister Abhaya was a scholar at a neighborhood school run by the Knanaya Catholic Church in Kottayam, then house to about 1.eight million folks.

Amongst India’s Hindu-majority inhabitants, 2.three% comply with Christianity — a determine that hasn’t modified in additional than 20 years. However Kerala has a large Christian neighborhood, round 18% of its folks.

In keeping with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which prosecuted the case, Sister Abhaya awakened at about four:15am on the day of her homicide to review for an examination.

She went to the bottom flooring kitchen to fetch some water and it was there prosecutors stated she discovered Father Thomas Kottoor and Sister Sephy performing a intercourse act. Father Kottoor taught psychology on the faculty and Sister Sephy was in control of the convent hostel the place the act passed off.

Prosecutors stated the pair “maintained a bootleg relationship”.

The evening earlier than the homicide, prosecutors stated the priest snuck onto the convent grounds and stayed in Sister Sephy’s room, which was on the bottom flooring of the hostel, close to the kitchen.

After they realized the younger nun had seen them in a compromising place, the pair hit her on the again of the top with a small ax stored within the kitchen, then threw her physique right into a effectively on the hostel grounds.

The main points of what occurred that evening did not come to mild till years later, after immense strain from activists and the younger nun’s household. Her father, particularly, refused to surrender.

The primary investigation into Sister Abhaya’s dying was opened by the Kottayam West Police Crime Department on the day her physique was discovered. A 12 months later, it concluded the reason for her dying was suicide.

However Sister Abhaya’s father, Matthew Thomas, refused to just accept their model of occasions and urged the CBI, the nation’s premier investigation company, to take over the case.

They picked it up in 1993, however for 12 years didn’t cost anybody for her dying. As an alternative, between 1993 and 2005, the CBI filed 4 reviews, together with three closure petitions, urging the Chief Judicial Justice of the Peace to drop the case.

Of their first report, they agreed with Kottayam police that the reason for dying was “suicide by drowning.” Nevertheless, it was not accepted by the Chief Judicial Justice of the Peace, and the case was reopened.

Their second report, revealed in 1996, was inconclusive — they may not decide if it was suicide or murder. Investigators as soon as once more urged the case to be closed. This was as soon as once more rejected.

Their third report, revealed in 1999, said it was a murder however did not nominate any suspects. This was rejected as “unsatisfactory” by the Chief Judicial Justice of the Peace.

One more report was filed in 2005, reiterating the case was “untraced,” as they may not determine any suspects. And as soon as once more, it was rejected by the Chief Judicial Justice of the Peace.

After this, the investigation was transferred from the CBI New Delhi department to the CBI within the southern metropolis of Cochin in Kerala.

Lastly, in 2009, the CBI formally charged Father Kottoor and Sister Sephy with homicide, in addition to one other priest, Father Jose Poothrikkayil, who police stated was concerned within the killing.

All three denied the cost, in addition to allegations of conducting an improper relationship.

They filed a dismissal request to get the case dropped, and it took one other 9 years earlier than a choose ordered Father Kottoor and Sister Sephy to face trial. Fees towards Father Poothrikkayil have been dropped as a result of lack of proof.

The trial

On August 5, 2019, the trial lastly started.

Prosecutors argued that Father Kottoor and Sister Sephy went to exceptional lengths to cowl up their relationship and crime.

In keeping with the CBI, Sister Sephy underwent hymenoplasty, a beauty repair to revive or reconstruct her hymen, the day earlier than her arrest in 2008, to make it seem that she was nonetheless a virgin.

In court docket, prosecutors accused law enforcement officials from the Kottayam West Crime Department of tampering with proof and destroying paperwork essential to the investigation.

“It’s cheap to suppose that Father Kottoor had at his management the immense sources of the diocese by way of cash and materials, and will command the obedience of monks, nuns, and laymen,” the prosecution stated.

Prosecutors alleged lead investigators, together with the Superintendent and the Deputy Superintendent of the police, have been instrumental within the cowl up.

The choose agreed with the prosecution’s assertions that early police investigators fabricated and destroyed proof, together with the plastic bottle, Sister Abhaya’s slippers, and her white veil.

He ordered the state’s police head to make sure that “such misdeeds on the a part of the police” don’t happen in future.

Just one cost was made towards an investigating officer, however that was dropped in 2008 after he died.

No less than one different lead investigator from the Kottayam West Police Crime Department, who was accused of fabricating and destroying proof, additionally died earlier than the case concluded.

Father Kottoor maintains his innocence.

“I’ve completed no mistaken. God is with me,” he informed native reporters as he arrived in court docket on December 23 for the sentencing listening to.

His lawyer stated the case relied fully on circumstantial proof. “There isn’t any conclusive proof,” stated Father Kottoor’s lawyer, B. Sivdas. “And there was a delay within the investigation, a delay find the accused, there have been so many loopholes. The court docket convicted them as a result of the case turned a sensation.”

Suicide or homicide?

Sister Abhaya — born Beena Thomas — was a “well mannered and quiet baby,” in line with her brother, Biju Thomas. They grew up in Kottayam, and have been “religious Catholics and followers of Jesus Christ.”

“I keep in mind when she was about 5 or 6, she started taking an enormous curiosity in God and the Bible,” stated Thomas, now 51 and residing in Dubai, within the United Arab Emirates. “She would learn the Bible religiously, and take consolation in its teachings. Everybody cherished her. She was all the time laughing.”

Sister Abhaya was 19 when she was “known as to a non secular life,” in line with Thomas. The household had kin in Germany and Italy who have been additionally nuns. Thomas stated that his sister admired the respect they acquired, and the work that they did.

“She needed to be revered additionally, and dedicate her life to Jesus,” he stated.

Thomas was 24 when he was informed that his sister had died by suicide. “I used to be so confused as a result of she was joyful, and she or he was following her dream. Why would she have killed herself?” he stated.

Thomas traveled again to Kottayam city, from the state of Gujarat the place he was learning, to be along with his household and handle his sister’s funeral preparations. A number of days later, he visited her physique within the morgue and browse the postmortem report that exposed his sister had head accidents and nail marks to her neck.

“These to me confirmed that one thing had occurred to her earlier than she was thrown within the effectively,” he stated.

Sister Sephy filed an eight-page written assertion stating that Sister Abhaya suffered from “psychological melancholy.” She claimed that Sister Abhaya got here from an “economically weak household and was not adequate in her research.”

Another nuns have been “staunch upholders” of the suicide principle, in line with the ultimate judgment. They “endeavored to present all assist to the accused,” the judgment stated.

“It was very hurtful to listen to these issues stated about my sister,” stated Thomas. “She did not kill herself. She was silenced.”

Sister Abhaya’s father — a low-wage farmer — fought tooth and nail for his daughter, Thomas stated.

“We have been poor folks, we did not have a lot cash,” stated Thomas. “However my father would journey for hours a day by bus to probe the police to reopen the case and provides us the reality.”

“He suffered rather a lot,” stated Thomas. “He all the time stated ‘somebody killed my Beena. I’m positive of it’.”

Activist pushed for solutions

Days after information broke of Sister Abhaya’s dying, the suspicious nature of the case piqued the curiosity of a younger activist, Jomon Puthenpurackal.

“Once I heard particulars about (Sister Abhaya’s) case — the overturned fruit basket, the ax within the kitchen, her slippers in numerous positions — I knew instantly that one thing dangerous had occurred to her,” stated Puthenpurackal, who stated he was impressed by Kottayam-based freedom fighter, Ok E Mammen, to “do good on the earth.”

“I knew she hadn’t dedicated suicide, just like the police and the Church stated,” he stated.

Puthenpurackal quickly fashioned an Motion Council to get justice for the murdered nun. He took a signed petition, together with Sister Abhaya’s father, to the CBI, detailing all of the allegations of corruption and itemizing key witnesses.

Each time the CBI filed a petition to shut the case, Puthenpurackal stored the strain on, utilizing the Indian media to maintain the case within the public eye, and urging investigators to dig deeper.

There was one witness, particularly, who had testimony Puthenpurackal felt was key to convicting the case. Adacka Raju was a “thief by career,” in line with court docket paperwork. He had trespassed onto the hostel campus on the evening of the homicide to steal copper plates from the terrace, which he deliberate to promote, in line with court docket paperwork.

Raju had stolen copper plates from the hostel twice earlier than. However on his third try — the evening of the homicide — he informed the court docket that he noticed two males approaching the staircase. He recognized certainly one of them as Father Kottoor.

Throughout the trial, protection attorneys vehemently argued towards Raju’s model of occasions and sought to discredit him, by branding him untrustworthy and a “man of no integrity.” In addition they alleged that he was a witness planted by the prosecution.

The prosecution, nevertheless, stated Raju was taken into custody by the Crime Department and stored within the station for 58 days. He was subjected to “inhumane torture” by officers there, who tried to extract a confession to pin the homicide on him.

“He stood his floor and didn’t budge even an inch,” in line with the prosecution. “He was provided a considerable financial reward and a job for his spouse and the assembly of the academic bills of his youngsters and a home to reside in, however he didn’t succumb to those blandishments.”

The police even arrested an acquaintance of Raju’s, and tortured him for 2 days, in line with court docket paperwork seen by CNN. The choose said that the acquaintance’s brother was additionally arrested and tortured for six days. He was repeatedly informed to testify that Raju had dedicated Sister Abhaya’s homicide.

“Raju confronted many difficulties in coming ahead,” stated Puthenpurackal. “(The protection) utterly dehumanized him. However he was one of many solely witnesses who stood his floor, regardless of the mounting strain.”

“I devoted my life to this case and I needed to see it by the top,” stated Puthenpurackal, who continued to pursue the case even when it endangered his security.

Father Kottoor threatened Puthenpurackal at a protest for Sister Abhaya. In keeping with court docket paperwork, Father Kottoor warned Puthenpurackal that he can be “dealt with within the correct method,” additionally declaring that “nobody working towards the church had ever been spared.”

Lengthy watch for justice

As a result of non secular authorities in India are held in such excessive regard, victims usually discover it tough to come back ahead if their perpetrators are concerned with the church, in line with the previous president of the All India Catholic Union, John Dayal.

Nevertheless, in recent times quite a lot of victims in Kerala have come ahead to hunt justice.

The sufferer and her dad and mom tried to redirect focus away from the priest. Her father went so far as telling the court docket that he was the one who raped his daughter.

Sister Abhaya’s dad and mom died in 2015, earlier than their daughters’ attackers have been dropped at justice.

“I simply want my dad and mom might have been right here to see it occur,” stated Thomas, Sister Abhaya’s brother. “That is all they ever needed.”

Thomas stated he “can relaxation in peace” and transfer on along with his life, now that the case is lastly over.

Nevertheless, he stated he nonetheless struggles to reconcile his sister’s love for the church with the horror of what occurred that evening — and the truth that those that presupposed to share her religion have been those who “took her away.”