When Faith Becomes a Shield for Predators: The Dark Side of Clergy Abuse

New Delhi, India Aug 22, 2026 ALN: A person entrusted with the spiritual, moral, and emotional wellbeing of others can become a predator, causing devastating consequences for the victims. This is a betrayal of faith, authority, and human vulnerability. A priest, pastor, or preacher occupies a position of enormous trust. He is welcomed into homes, given access to children, approached by vulnerable families, and often treated as a moral authority. When that trust is abused, the crime is not merely sexual; it is a betrayal of faith, authority, and human vulnerability.

The recent death sentence awarded by a special POCSO court in Tirunelveli to preacher S. Abraham is therefore more than another criminal conviction. The court found him guilty of sexually assaulting four minor girls over nearly two years and classified the offences as “rarest of rare.” The victims were between eight and 13 years old. According to the prosecution, Abraham used Bible and music classes as a pretext to gain access to the children and threatened them into silence. The court also ordered compensation of ₹10 lakh for each survivor.

This case should force India to confront an uncomfortable question: how many predators hide behind the robes, collars, pulpits, and language of faith?

The answer cannot be that every priest or pastor is suspect. That would be both unjust and intellectually dishonest. Millions of Christians in India worship, serve society, and dedicate their lives to education, healthcare, and charity. Most clergy are not criminals. But precisely because the overwhelming majority are trusted, the criminal minority can exploit that trust with devastating consequences.

The past five years provide several disturbing examples.

In Tamil Nadu, pastor Joseph Raja was convicted in 2023 for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl with physical and intellectual disabilities inside a church in Virudhunagar district. In February 2026, the Madras High Court upheld his life sentence, finding the prosecution evidence credible and the punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offence. The case is particularly disturbing because the victim was entrusted to the pastor’s care.

In Maharashtra, Catholic priest Father Vincent Pereira was arrested in November 2022 after allegations that he had sexually abused a minor boy. Police action followed the cancellation of his pre-arrest bail, and another case concerning the alleged abuse had also been registered. The case demonstrates another disturbing dimension of institutional abuse: allegations can involve not only children but also the complicated structures surrounding religious institutions, where authority and personal loyalty can sometimes discourage victims from speaking.

In Tamil Nadu, a church priest in Kanchipuram was arrested under the POCSO Act in July 2024 after allegations of sexual harassment involving a 14-year-old girl. The incident reportedly involved a girl who had visited a church. Whatever the final judicial outcome, the allegation itself illustrates the vulnerability created when religious spaces become places where children assume they are completely safe.

Then came the arrest of pastor D. John Jebaraj in April 2025. The pastor, known for Christian concerts and associated with King Generation Prayer Hall in Coimbatore, was arrested in Kerala after allegations that he had sexually assaulted two minor girls at his residence in 2024. Police arrested him in Munnar after the complaint was registered under the POCSO Act. Here again, the alleged mechanism was access and trust: the accused was not an anonymous stranger but a religious figure known to the victims.

In Kerala in 2025, Father Paul Thattuparambil, vicar of St Paul’s Church at Athirumavu, was booked under the POCSO Act following an allegation involving a 16-year-old schoolboy. The priest reportedly went into hiding after the case was registered and was subsequently taken into judicial custody. His archdiocese suspended him from priestly duties pending the outcome of the investigation.

These cases highlight the urgent need for religious institutions to implement strict policies and procedures to prevent abuse and provide support to victims. The POCSO Act provides a framework for protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation, but it must be complemented by institutional accountability and transparency.

As society grapples with these painful truths, it is crucial to remember that the vast majority of clergy serve with integrity. However, the few who betray this trust must be held accountable to protect the vulnerable and restore faith in these sacred institutions.