The Additional Sessions Court (POCSO), Kollam, on Saturday awarded 18 years of rigorous imprisonment to a priest for sexually abusing seminary students. The court found Fr. Thomas Parekulam, who was the vicar of St. Mary’s Church, Kottathala, guilty of the charges and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment in three cases each and three years in one case.
Fine of ₹1 lakh
The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh each to be paid to the victims as compensation. Fr. Parekulam was convicted by Additional Sessions Judge K.N. Sujith while Additional Public Prosecutor Sicin G. Mundakkal and Special Public Prosecutor Soju Tulsidharan appeared for the prosecution.
As per the prosecution, he was a priest at Holy Cross Seminary at Pullamala, Kottarakara, during 2016. Also a member of the Chennai-based SDM order, he had subjected four seminary students to sexual abuse during the period. All four victims were 16-year-olds and the Puthur police had launched a probe on the basis on a complaint received by Child Welfare Committee, Thiruvananthapuram. The accused, who went absconding during the investigation, was later nabbed from Chennai.
