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Ex-nun seeks justice against priest for ‘deceptive sexual abuse’ (Part 3 of 3)
A woman has been struggling with mental health issues as she seeks justice for the alleged sexual abuse and deception that she experienced as a nun, when a priest in her diocese in Sumba got her pregnant and continues to find refuge in the Catholic Church. The Jakarta Post has been collaborating with other media outlets to shed light on alleged sexual abuse cases surrounding the Catholic Church over the past year. This time, the Post collaborated with Katolikana, an independent Catholic media outlet. This is the last part in a three-part story.
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Stock illustration of sexual predation and abuse of power in Catholic institutions (JP/Hengky Wijaya)
T
he Jakarta Post has been collaborating with other media outlets to shed light on alleged sexual abuse cases surrounding the Catholic Church over the past year. This time, the Post collaborated with Katolikana, an independent Catholic media outlet. This is the last part in a three-part story. Read the first and second parts.
Afra (not her real name), a 41-year-old woman and former Catholic nun, has been struggling to restart her life after miscarrying a child she conceived with a 33-year-old priest identified only as MT, who is a member of her diocese in Southwest Sumba regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
Afra met the priest as she was contemplating leaving the congregation, and later entered into what she thought was a consensual relationship based on love. She got pregnant and tried to hide it from her family for a while, but eventually the couple had to come clean. However, MT abruptly disappeared as the two were expected to meet with diocesan officials over the matter.
Disheartened and in a state of shock, Afra eventually miscarried. As her family sought damages from MT through the church, they were informed the priest had been suspended from his ecclesiastical duties and sent to a commune in Surabaya, East Java. It was later revealed that MT had been entangled in a similar affair when he was still a deacon in Kupang, NTT.
MT returned to the Weetebula diocese after Afra reported her case to the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), but she claims she was unable to contact him.
Vicar general Agus Bulu of the Weetebula diocese said that Bishop Edmund had exercised “the fullest extent” of his authority, having expelled the priest from his duties at the diocese. However, MT still retains his priesthood.
The vicar general said the church was just as much a victim in the case and that both MT and Afra were at fault.
