Police in India released images of four men who allegedly gang-raped a 71-year-old nun inside her convent at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. Authorities arrested ten people possibly connected to the rape.
“CCTV footage showed that six men, aged between 20 and 30, scaled the boundary wall around 11.40pm and entered the school and disconnected the telephone lines,” said Superintendent Arnab Ghosh. “At least two of them were armed and the rest were carrying burglary tools. In the chapel, a holy scripture was found torn and… a bust of Jesus was broken.”
The men attempted to rob the Christian missionary school when the nun tried to stop them. They tied up the security guards, dragged the woman into another room, and raped her. The suspects took “cash, a mobile phone, a laptop and a camera, all of which belonged to the school.”
The nun was rushed to the hospital and remains in serious condition after surgery. She is still traumatized and cannot speak to the police. But Ghosh announced on Monday the police “detained a total of 10 persons in connection” with the rape. He said the police are determining if any of the men resemble the attackers from the CCTV footage.
NDTV reported that some sources within the government told them the police are investigating it as a possible inside job, since “the school had sacked three security guards for dereliction of duty in December.”
Nuns, priests, and schoolgirls attended a large candlelight vigil for the elderly nun. They also held signs that said “This world belongs to women” and “We want rape-free India.” Churches in India prayed for the nun during Mass on Sunday.
“In our Sunday Mass, we prayed for the sister to recover quickly from trauma, fear and her physical injuries. We will pray for her again this evening,” said Archbishop of Kolkata Thomas D’Souza. “They not only committed a heinous crime, but they also vandalised the chapel … This is the first time such an attack has happened in India.”
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