The Goa Children's Court headed by South Goa District Judge A.D.Salkar today announced that it would deliver on 7th January its order on the maintainability of the criminal complaint filed by Mr. Anthony Frois uncle of the minor girl allegedly molested by Ribandar Parish Priest Fr. Newton Rodrigues.
The Court today heard further arguments advanced on behalf of the Complainant Mr. Frois. The Court was told that the offence allegedly committed by the priest was very serious and that though it was a year today the priest was yet to face the due process of law. The complaint, which is the first of its kind before the recently constituted Children’s court, has been filed by Mr. Frois against the Parish Priest in view of the police dragging its feet in filing the charge sheet against the accused priest. On Dec 24th last year before the X’mas midnight mass Fr. Newton Rodrigues allegedly took the 13-year-old Ribandar girl to a room in the church on the pretext of taking confession and molested her. Fr. Newton Rodrigues is the first Roman Catholic Priest in Goa against whom the police have registered an F.I.R for an offence of molestation. When the matter came up for hearing today strong exception was taken that the case was not listed on the board and the Court’s attention was drawn to the fact that a officer of the court who happens to be a catholic had directed the clerk not to list the case on the board to apparently avoid embarrassment to the accused priest. Taking prompt cognizance of this complaint Judge A.D Salkar directed that the private criminal complaint against the accused priest be registered and that it should appear on the board whenever fixed for hearing. Meanwhile a contempt of Court petition filed against Inspector Mrs. Ezilda D' Souza for not complying with her statement is already pending before the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court. ___________________________________________________________ ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com