In an exclusive conversation with Goa Chronicle Executive Editor Sonakshi Datta, a mother of a now 18-year-old boy spoke about her family’s struggle in the fight for justice for her son, who was raped and sodomised by a Christian priest, Fr. Lawrence Joshi, in 2015, when he was 12-years-old. The pastor of the Church in Shivaji Nagar, Dadra in Mumbai was sentenced to life in prison by the Special POSCO Court.
“Fr Lawrence has been punished now but I had known, right back in 2015 that he would perish when he wronged my son. Lawrence had confessed about sexually exploiting my then 12-year-old son in front of me and my husband, going down on his knees, and had asked us to forgive him stating that such a ‘mistake’ would not be repeated in the future”, she said while conversing with the Goa Chronicle Executive Editor Sonakshi Datta.
It may be noted, that in 2015, the 12-year-old victim had told police that he and his brother went to the church in Shivaji Nagar, Dadar, on November 27, 2015. After the prayers, he was called inside by Fr. Lawrence under the guise of keeping a box. When the boy went inside, the pastor closed the door from the inside and sexually assaulted the minor. The minor had been left injured and bleeding. The boy added that the priest had done something similar a few months before the incident also. He had confessed the same in front of the magistrate too.
Pastors followers stage ‘morcha’, spread lies about the victim’s family
Recalling the harrowing incident and the repercussions it had on her son and her family, the victim’s mother claimed that when the family went to file a complaint against Lawrence, his followers staged a ‘morcha’ against them, accusing the victim’s family of spreading falsehoods about him for monetary benefits.
She added that whenever she went to court, the pastor’s supporters made derogatory remarks about her. She use to be alone in the courtroom, while the pastor had a slew of supporters standing by him, offering him biryani like delicacies, recalled the victim’s mother.
Minor attempts suicide, church goes on to shield the accused
The mother lamented that Father Lawrence had exploited her son three times and that her now 18-year-old son was still the same traumatised 12-year-old child who cannot go out in public for fear of being victimised again. She said this while confessing that her son still holds her hand for support.
The mother went on to describe how her distraught son had attempted suicide twice and was currently undergoing psychological counselling.
Further revealing the church’s obnoxious practises, she stated that after she notified the Vice President of the church about Lawrence’s wrongdoings and requested justice, he answered: “Let it be, leave it; he is a boy after all.”
She said she had also taken her son to the Cardinal of the church following his horrific encounter, but all the Cardinal said was that he was travelling for Rome and would resolve problems when he returned. The Cardinal has, however, remained aloof to the family and has never bothered to check in on the victim. “The church members continue to harass my family and most probably, would never leave us alone”, she rued.
She then described to Goa Chronicle how the church members held “morchas” (processions) outside her home and teased them in the streets about her son being raped. Her family, until today, has never been consoled by the church or the Cardinal, added the victim’s mother.
“Right from 2015 till now, one person, Brother Jo Soros of The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVP) stood by our side and assisted us through the hard times. SSVP always stands by the poor to help them. On the other hand, the Cardinal kept lying through his teeth saying he helped us and assisted us financially for my son’s treatment”, the boy’s mother added.
Even now, she claimed, when she and her husband went to church, people literally spat at them and pointed fingers at them, claiming their child had been raped. Despite all this, their trust in God has been unshakeable and would stay so, said the mother, asserting further: “I have turned into an immensely strong mother now.”
“Come what may, we will not get frightened and I am sure that even the Cardinal would be punished soon”, the mother said, looking determined in her struggle against the Church’s evil practises.
