Nun rape: 'I requested for help, but they did not move'

Sister Meena, a Roman Catholic nun who was raped and paraded naked during the anti–Christian violence in Orissa, accused the police of 'standing idle' and abetting the rapists when pleaded for help.

Addressing a media conference yesterday, the 28–year–old nun refused to co–operate with the police investigation and demanded for a CBI probe.

With her face covered with a veil, the nun from Divyajyoti Pastoral Centre in K Nuagon, Kandhamal district, described her excruciating experience in a choked voice, unable to control her emotions.

"I was raped and now I don't want to be victimized by Orissa police," she said, calling for a federal investigation.

She recounted that a mob of up to 50 men armed with sticks, axes, spades, iron rods and sickles dragged her and a Catholic priest from the house where they were sheltering on August 25.

"They pulled out my sari and one of them stepped on my right hand and another on my left hand and then a third person raped me," she said.

"And they went on beating me with their hands on my cheeks and head and with sticks on my back."

“When we reached the marketplace about a dozen of OSAP policemen were there. I went to them asking to protect me and I sat in between two policemen. But they did not move. One from the crowd again pulled out from there and they wanted to lock us in the temple mandap.”

"State police failed to stop the crimes, failed to protect me from the attackers, they were friendly with the attackers, and they tried their best to make sure that I did not make complaints against police," she lamented.

Father Dominic Emmanuel, spokesperson of Catholic Church in Delhi said the nun had travelled to Delhi in the hope that Supreme Court would provide justice and a CBI probe would be ordered.

The Supreme Court had Wednesday said “it does not feel the need to have a CBI inquiry, at the moment”.

Dominic said that since the decision was “for the moment”, the nun’s open admission and “narration of injustice under the state system would make the requirement felt”.

The attack on Christians flared up with the murder of a Hindu leader in Kandhamal district on August 23. While Maoists claimed responsibility for the slaying, Hindu radical outfits accused Christians and instigated large scale attacks on the miniscule community.

While over 50,000 fled to forests, only 15,000 are believed to be in state–run shelters, which lack even common facilities for people.

"The conditions in those relief shelters are terrible. There are no toilets and officials say tribal women don't need any toilets," says Christian rights activist John Dayal.

The violence has drawn international criticism from the Pope and President Bush and prompted calls for a ban on extremist Hindu groups in the country.

Click here to read the complete statement of Sister Meena