AUGUST 27, 2017
RAPIST-PRIEST FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC IN HIDING IN ROME CONTINUES TO CONDUCT RETREATS OVERSEAS WITH SUPPORT FROM HIS CONGREGATION-02
This file is the 14th in the series on the Vincentian rapist-priest who is still at loose despite his entire Congregation being aware of his serial molestation of young girls spanning several years.
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 01
MARCH 2015/24, 26 OCTOBER 2016/24 JANUARY/28 FEBRUARY/4 MARCH 2017 (General)
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 02
17/22 JUNE 2017 (General continued)
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 03
18 JUNE 2017
(FR. ROBIN VADAKKUNCHERIL)
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 04
22/28 JUNE/2 JULY 2017 (CORRESPONDENCE RELATED TO RAPE COMMITTED BY FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC)
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 05 (PROFILE OF FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY, THE ABSCONDING RAPIST PRIEST HIDING IN ROME)
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 06
(FINAL NOTIFICATION TO THE INDIAN CHURCH) JULY 10, 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 07 (INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL OF RAPE SURVIVOR BY FR JOHN PUTHANPURACKAL VC) JULY 10, 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 08
(RELUCTANCE TO COOPERATE IN EXPOSING RAPE BY PRIESTS AND ACTIVE HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE SEMINARIES) JULY 10, 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 09 (PROPOSED RETREAT BY RAPIST-PRIEST FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC AT ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, SHARJAH, SEPTEMBER 2-4, 2017) AUGUST 2, 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 10 (RETREAT BY FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC AT ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, SHARJAH, CANCELLED) AUGUST 3, 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 11 (FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC IN HIDING IN ROME CONTINUES TO CONDUCT RETREATS OVERSEAS WITH SUPPORT FROM HIS CONGREGATION – 01) 8 AUGUST 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 12 (COMPLAINT AGAINST RAPIST FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC LODGED WITH NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN) 20 AUGUST 2017
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 13 (BANGALORE MEETING WITH VINCENTIAN PRIESTS AND CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE IN FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC CASE) 20 AUGUST 2017
This ministry had succeeded in getting the organizers to cancel two retreats which were to have been preached by the rapist-priest, the first in New York and the second in Sharjah. It is still unclear if he “ministered” at the two retreats in the UK (see flyers in report serial no. 11) or not.
The Vincentian Congregation’s Provincial Superior says he didn’t; Fr. George Panackal VC who, as per the flyer, co-preached the Hounslow programme will not say that he (Fr. Joby) did not.
After my return from the Bangalore meeting with the Vincentians, I received several calls from the U.K. from Fr. George Panackal VC, one of the founding fathers of the Potta retreat centre and a highly respected priest.
Following is the one-sided correspondence with him followed by my brief comments:
To:
Fr. George Panackal Subject: FROM MICHAEL PRABHU
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2017 08:19:07 +0530/Tue, 22 Aug 2017 08:20:36 +0530
Dear Fr. George Panackal,
I thank you very much for your twenty minute call from UK last evening concerning Fr. Joby Kachappilly VC. You informed me that you came to know of the issue of his sexual molestation and rape of two of many young girls and married women only a few days ago. However I am copying below my email to you of June 27. It DID NOT bounce. Only the one to Fr Mathew Naickomparambil bounced. So you were definitely made aware by me at least five weeks before you went to the UK to preach two retreats with Fr. Joby. Why then did you allow him to preach the retreats along with you?
You asked me for the contacts details of the father of the sexual molestation survivor who, along with us, met with your two Vincentian priests (the Provincial Superior Fr James Kallumkal and his Councillor Fr. Francis Naduviledath) from Angamaly, Kerala, and Fr. Martin Palamattam, the deputée (Judicial Vicar) of the Syro-Malabar Church (who flew down from Gurgaon/Delhi) at Britto Hall, Ashirvad, in the afternoon of August 18th. I told you truthfully that I do not have them. However, I requested you NOT to try and talk to the girl’s father but only to the victim herself as she and only she will take the final call which we all will respect. You kindly agreed to do so.
I also informed you that until two days ago, Fr. Prince (John Puthanpurackal) from Faridabad was continuing to contact the mother of the girl, exerting pressure on her to influence us to stop our pursuit of justice. I already have documented proof of his criminal intimidation and blackmail and after a couple of warnings which he ignored, I have put it up on my web site: RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 07 (CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL OF RAPE SURVIVOR BY FR JOHN PUTHANPURACKAL VC) JULY 10, 2017
His continued behaviour shows his absolute immaturity and the lack of unity in decision-making among your Congregation, not to say that it is a disgrace for charismatic retreat preachers to go on like this, walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. This harassment has got to stop, Father George. It will only go against the interests of the Vincentians. I will now be obliged to include his name in our complaint to the National Commission for Women which is already on their web site.
During your conversation with me, you only expressed concern about his present miserable condition because, as you said, the whole world now knows about him, and the future fate of Fr. Joby if he is defrocked and laicized. Not once did you or any of the 500+ Vincentian priests whom I contacted by phone and by email over the last five months express a single word of concern, empathy or pity for the victims of the molester-rapist who have been traumatised and abused in body, soul and spirit. It was only on the 18th during our personal meeting at Bangalore did Fr. James, the Provincial Superior and Fr. Martin the Judicial Vicar say that they were “sad” and “sorry” about what had happened. However, their apology was not convincing. You and all the other Vincentians appear to be only concerned about the criminal — who deserves no pity– and the good name of your religious order. I already informed you yesterday about another Director-priest of one of your retreat centres who is molesting women during counseling. I have no choice but to expose that case too on my web site.
We are sorry to hear that the mother of Fr. Joby is devastated and that his sister committed suicide some years ago. Could he have been responsible for that too?
You also know from me that ex-Vincentian priest Shibu Kalamparambil has been contacting us and pressurising us to hand over the case to their militant ex-priests and nuns organization.
As I shared with you, apart from wasting our precious time and energy, all of us have incurred unnecessary expenditures from the 12th to the 19th of this month. My wife and I for our rail fares from and to Chennai, accommodation for 8 days, local conveyance, etc. The victim’s father flew came down from xxx and also returned by air. There is also the matter of the payment that the victim made to rent out Britto Hall on St Mark’s Road for four hours and their local conveyances for meetings with us and with your representatives. Please give me your detailed postal address at which you can safely receive the statement of our expenses by courier or Speed Post. Thank you for agreeing to ensure that we are reimbursed for our expenses. It is nothing compared to the money spent by your Congregation shuttling Fr. Joby to Toronto and back and to Toronto again and then to Rome, etc. etc. Also, Fr. Joby took one of the girls to Canada twice before he finally raped her in Bangalore. All of this must have cost your Congregation lakhs of rupees! The rape survivor’s family has repeatedly expressed that they would not like to touch your money, but I am of the opinion that it is only fair that all of our expenses should be reimbursed at the earliest. Please arrange to ensure that this is done.
In the past five months, I have never once mentioned, either orally or in writing, the names of the two rape survivors whose cases I have taken up. None of the Vincentian priests asked me for their names. But after I phoned three of them and sent emails to all of the others, the girls began to receive phone calls and text messages, especially those of Fr. Prince. Even you said, yesterday, that you would contact one of the victims. Kindly do so. It is quite evident that from before my very first phone call to the priests at the Divine Retreat Ashram, Faridabad, all of the priests in the Congregation knew not only what Fr. Joby had been perpetrating all these years, but also the identities of the victims!!!
Thank you for saying very nice things about me and what you feel about my intentions in fighting this case on behalf of the rape victims. God bless you, Father George.
Let us pray for one another,
Michael Prabhu, Chennai
To:
Fr. George Panackal
Subject: FROM MICHAEL PRABHU Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2017 09:53:01 +0530
Dear Fr. George Panackal VC,
Thank you very much for calling me once again last evening at 7:30 IST from the UK. I gave you the telephone number of one of the victims of sexual molestation of Fr. Joby Kachappilly VC. I understand that you called her up twice and spoke with her for an hour. If you can convince her to withdraw the police/NCW complaints of rape against the accused priest, I will have to honour her wish. You informed me that you called her father twice, once during his office working hours and later in the evening yesterday and that his phone was switched off the second time you called. It is possible that he did not want to speak because the Vincentian priests have proved untrustworthy. I am not in contact with the girl’s father either by phone or email. The two victims whom I am representing are the sole and final decision makers in the matter of the progress of the case.
I have been writing till now to you at the following email address: georgepanackalvc@gmail.com. Now I am writing to you at the address given by you yesterday as you say that you have not accessed the above referred gmail account and have not seen my letters. The first one is dated JUNE 27; it is reproduced further below. (See report serial no. 4)
Please see also the file attached herewith with reference to my second letter to you of August 22 (reproduced below).
Father, please explain to me why you permitted the rapist disgraced priest Fr. Joby Kachappilly VC to preach two retreats with you in the UK earlier this month when you and all the priests of the Congregation are well aware that he is a serial sexual molester of women and young girls even before I ever contacted then. I look forward to your response to that.
Please give me the full postal address in Kerala, India, to which you would like me to send the statement of our expenses on the case. I shall do so on the Monday following. The victim’s father traveled from xxx to Bangalore and back by bus and not by air. I am sorry for informing you otherwise in my first letter dated August 22 (reproduced below).
I confirm that Fr. Prince (John Puthanpurackal) continues to exert illegal pressure on the victim’s mother. His latest was to warn her not to allow the curse of a priest to fall on their family! Please restrain Fr. Prince who refuses to heed my warnings to leave the family alone. It is Fr. Joby who is accursed; how will his “curse” affect anyone who is under the Anointing? I personally know that the victim and her father are very prayerful individuals. But the people who attend the evil priest’s retreats and allow him to minister to them may be opening themselves to the forces of evil, including lust, incest and rape.
Yours sincerely, Michael Prabhu
To:
Fr. George Panackal
Subject: Re: FROM MICHAEL PRABHU Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2017 04:34:02 +0530
Dear Fr. George Panackal,
You called me last night from the UK at around 11:30 IST. I am usually in bed by 9 PM. Please try to call before 8 PM latest as my wife and I have dinner and pray together after that time.
You informed me that you have received and read my email/s. I wonder why you do not reply to me. You did not even reassure me that you will instruct Fr. Prince to cease harassing the victims and their parents. Why? Neither did you give me the postal address to which I can courier/Speed post you my statement of expenses on the rape case. Why?
You did not inform me that you called up one of Fr. Joby’s victims thrice before you spoke to me. The girls have been devastatingly violated so I cannot understand your telling her “it is only when a woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a child that the priest is punished“. Where did you come across that information?
You said that you will give me money in reimbursement of my expenses, linking it to my pulling the files on Fr. Joby Kachappilly VC from my web site as it is “shaming the Vincentian Congregation”. To that request, I informed you that my web master is away in Germany from 13 August and hence he could not attend the Bangalore meeting on 18th with your representatives; he is part of our team. (There is another couple who could not be present with us that day as they had to go to Hyderabad to give a programme.) My web master also cannot do my web site work till he returns to India in 2-3 weeks time.
On our web site, there are presently 11 files in my series on the issue of molestation and rape of women, including 8 directly concerned with Fr. Joby. I sent you file no. 11. I am attaching one more, dated August 11, to this email.
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 12
– Some evidence related to the criminal priest and his associates*. It is file no. 12 in the series*.
We gave a hard copy printout of it to Fr. Martin, the Syro-Malabar Judicial Vicar from Gurgaon/Delhi.
Why is it not on our web site? Because our web master was preparing to leave for Germany on the 13th morning. If you read the contents of no. 12, you will be able to gauge the graveness of the matter. After no. 12, there are two (2) more files awaiting our web master for uploading.
You also again mentioned that canonical action will be taken against Fr. Joby. But just as Fr. James, your Provincial Superior, did with us on the 18th several times, you are unable to spell out exactly what sort of action and how quickly it will be taken. Moreover, we are unable to understand what role your Congregation now has to play in the matter since the Syro-Malabar Church deputed Fr. Martin Palamattam to take charge.
Kindly answer my questions in the second and also in the last paragraph by email. Thank you,
Michael Prabhu
*Our team decided not to publish on our web site the aforesaid report serial no. 12 since a hard copy of it in colour was given to Fr. Martin Palamattam, the Judicial Vicar of the Syro-Malabar Church. It might be published later, modified and under a different serial number.
The report no. 12 later uploaded and presently found on our web site has a different subtitle and contents from the proposed original.
*
To: Fr. Kallumkal James, Fr. Francis, Fr. Martin
CC: Fr. George Panackal
Subject: MEETING AT BRITTO HALL, ASHIRVAD, ST. MARK’S ROAD, BANGALORE 3 PM to 5 PM ON JULY 18, 2017
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2017 19:29:10 +0530
Dear Fr. James Kallumkal VC, Provincial Superior of Marymatha Province of Vincentian Congregation,
During your meeting with one of the victim-survivors and her father, you expressed surprise when I informed you that Fr. Joby Kachappilly VC had preached two retreats in the UK traveling from Rome, even while he was under investigation for sexual molestation and rape of women by your Congregation. The evidence that he did so is in a file attached herewith.
Michael Prabhu
RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 11 (FR. JOBY KACHAPPILLY VC IN HIDING IN ROME CONTINUES TO CONDUCT RETREATS OVERSEAS WITH SUPPORT FROM HIS CONGREGATION) 8 AUGUST 2017
From: Fr. James Kallumkal
Subject: Re: MEETING AT BRITTO HALL, ASHIRVAD, ST. MARK’S ROAD, BANGALORE, 3 PM to 5 PM ON JULY 18, 2017 Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2017 09:20:39 +0530
Dear Michael Prabhu,
Received your mail dated August 22 and the evidence** you had attached to show that Fr. Joby preached two retreats in UK, one in July end and another in the first week of August. Though you attached file of it, it is not conclusive to me since I have denied him permission to do so. I attach my letter to him not granting permission. This letter is sent to you as a proof for what I have told you. At the same time you are not permitted to publish it in your media or website.
Yours sincerely,
Fr. James Kallumkal VC
**RAPE AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY INDIAN PRIESTS-CHURCH FAILS TO PUNISH GUILTY 11
To: Fr. James Kallumkal
CC: Fr. Martin,
Fr. George Panackal, Fr. Jose Vettiyankal
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2017 08:39:05 +0530
Dear Rev. Fr. James,
When I asked Fr. George Panackal on three separate occasions (when he phoned me from UK) why Fr. Joby Kachappilly was allowed to preach the two retreats with him, his reply was that at that time he was unaware of the charges against the rapist. If Fr. Joby did not preach, Fr. Panackal would have immediately said so. It is the same case with one of Fr. Joby’s victims who Fr. Panackal talked to a couple of days ago. He did not deny it. Let Fr. Panackal give us in writing that Fr. Joby followed your orders and did not disobey you and preach at the two centres in the U.K.
I can easily find out the facts as my youngest sister is a British citizen living in London and I would only have to ask her to check it out for me. We also have other charismatic prayer group sources in London who correspond with us now and then.
My report (Sl. no. 11) was released on August 8. We met at Bangalore on August 18. Your letter declining permission to Fr. Joby is dated July 15, much earlier. It was only for the Ramsgate retreat on August 5, 2017. You did not issue orders to him not to preach at the Bath Road, Hounslow, Night Vigil on July 29. When the two flyers are there in the very same report from our ministry, why do you address one and ignore the other? In the absence of a clear denial from Fr. Panackal and clarity from you, we have to presume that Fr. Joby ministered at one or both centres in the UK despite and after our exposing him to your Congregation.
Fr. Panackal has not replied to any of my emails to him. Neither did you or Fr. Martin, both of whom I copied, respond to some of the issues that I raised in those and other emails. There is the matter of the sexual molestation of women by Fr. Sam at Logos which all of you are ignoring from the 8th of August (If my first email or even the second had been replied to by Fr. Jose Vettiyankal, we may not have had to put that case also on our web site). And the continued threats to the victim’s family by Fr. Prince, his latest being “don’t let the curse of a priest fall on your family”. Meanwhile Fr. Panackal is trying to buy my silence (“We will pay you for all the expenses that you incurred but you must remove all your ‘leaflets’ [sic] from the web site.”) He does not want us to allow ex-Vincentian priest Shibu and his organization to take up or join our cause because “his intentions are different”.
It seems that all of you are uncoordinated and working at cross-purposes to one another through different means but with a common agenda. It will not help you all.
Your good self and Fr. Martin were committed (during the meeting we had) to keep us informed of what steps/action were being taken against Fr. Joby. We are still being kept in the dark after nearly 6 months.
Finally, kindly do not instruct us what we may or may not do on our web site.
Michael Prabhu
For the record, Fr. George Panackal called up from the U.K. to one of Fr. Joby’s victims thrice on the 23rd of August (one call at around 8:00 PM IST was for 40 minutes).
“When I asked him if Fr Joby had conducted a retreat with him, he kept beating around the bush. But from all the beating around the bush, it inferred that he did preach for the UK retreat. He kept saying, “I came to know of it only few weeks back.””
The victim-survivor shares details of Fr. George Panackal’s 24-minute call on the 24th of August: ““He kept insisting that they cannot take action against an alleged crime that came from someone
… He said, ‘I have a suggestion. What if we ban him from public ministry for 3 years?’ … it is only when a woman gets pregnant and gives birth to a child that the priest is punished, he said …”
“I said, It was in the middle of all this that you invited him to preach at UK. How can I expect any sort of justice from the Vincentian congregation when this is what you all do?” He said, “… I was not aware of it… I came to know only few weeks ago. The Provincial is the one who grants permission. There is only me and another priest here… how are we to know…” I said, “… Father, I would like to trust you, but what you are saying is ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE! The case was already in the open and the public knew about it latest by June. If the Provincial is the one who granted him permission to preach in UK in the middle of all this scandal, then we can as well send a complaint against the Provincial for failing to take necessary action against a rapist priest…”
I said, “…I am completely convinced that your Vincentian Congregation is absolutely incapable of granting me justice! How can you people give me justice when you do not even want to acknowledge the seriousness of the crime he has committed! I had a lot of respect for you Father. But all of that is gone now because you don’t care about the people. You only care about your congregation. The naive people who flock to you will be pained to know this. How can you call a case of rape, petty? This case went out to the bishops in India and all the priests of your congregation. How can you even say you didn’t know of it even by 5th August, 2017 when you had called to preach him??? (HE DID NOT DENY IT!) And then what is this “canonical proceedings” anyway that you’ve all been talking about. You know by now it is a crime of rape and sexual assault. What is the specific canonical punishment for a rapist priest? He said, “…that I don’t know. I am not associated with them. I am speaking to you on my own. There are authorities for it. I am only trying to speak to you… I am not speaking on their behalf…” To which I said, “…in that case Father, you are wasting your time and it is pointless to hold this conversation. If you do call me again, please find out the specific canonical proceedings for a rapist priest and only then call. Also, please do sit with the Lord and ask Him what he wants, instead of trying to tell me what you want… I really don’t have the time and energy to sit and convince you everyday Father, when I do clearly see that all you are trying to do is cover up.””
Now, these are only excerpts of just one of the victim’s conversations with Fr. George Panackal.
They are included to reinforce my statements that the Vincentian priests are labouring on the issue independent of and at cross purposes to one another and that Fr. Panackal did not deny that Fr. Joby Kachappilly did preach in the U.K. contrary to what Fr. James Kallumkal, their Provincial, maintains.
Fr. George Panackal called up the victim’s father soon after he talked to her (from whom did he obtain his telephone number?) With him, the priest proposed a five-year ban on Fr. Joby.
The calls from Fr. George Panackal show up the coldness and callousness of the Vincentian priests. They do not seem to consider rape as a violent crime and grave sin especially when committed by a priest. They think that by reimbursing our expenses of a few thousand rupees they can buy our cooperation and silence.
They simply do not want to defrock him, to remove him from the priesthood and thus permanently ensure that other girls will be shielded from him in the future at least as far as his priestly ministry is concerned.
The more lies they tell, the more games they play, the more determined we will be to ensure that the rapist is brought to justice.
And, the more that they keep us in the dark about their course of action against the rapist and the more they delay in providing us with hard evidence of their instituting canonical action against him, the more we will forge ahead with publishing reports on our web site and processing legal/juridical proceedings against the Vincentian priest and his Congregation.
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