FW: Claret School Report
Benjamin P N
Please also read my letter to Deccan Herald on this issue>
The Editor Deccan Herald, Bangalore
Sir,
St Claret School affairs: the other story
It is unbecoming of Deccan Herald, known for its sobriety and impartiality in its reporting, to use expressions like "lecherous principal" "wolf in sheep’s clothes" in ‘exposing’ the happenings in the above school. I do not know the priest involved in it nor do I hold any brief for him. I hasten to say that it is quite possible that Fr Mathew has been indiscreet - as all of us, even good people, sometimes are. And I would have accepted that explanation but this morning a friend of mine who has a child in St Claret school called me to find out what I thought of the whole thing. He then told me that the nearby school – M. Theresa’s High School – is owned by a relative of a Minister. I am also told that the minister is angry with the school because many of the recommendations he gives for admission are not accepted by the Principal. I have not verified this statement of my informant. My informant has also told me that M Theresa's is an English medium school; St Claret's is officially a Kannada medium school, where English is being taught; it is gaining much in popularity despite being a Kannada medium school. St Claret's has been trying its best to get official recognition for English as medium and only recently the parents of the school held a rally and have made a representation asking the Minister for Education for English medium. If St Claret's gets permission to have English as medium that would be a blow to M Thereas's School. The children would flock to Claret's. It is to prevent this and to in a way destroy St Claret's that this accusation has been foisted on the Principal, by those associated with M Theresa school, and a great hullabaloo is being made of it. My informant (a Hindu) tells me he has not heard a single complaint about Fr Mathew; he would have, since his child is in the school. My informant does not want to be identified because he is known in the area and his children might be affected.
P.N.BENJAMIN Coordinator Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue(BIRD) 7A, 3rd Cross Da Costa Square Bangalore 560 084 Tel. 2580 0647 21 Dec. 2006 _________________________________________________________________
From: con...@sichrem.org
To: benja...@hotmail.com
Subject: Claret School Report
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 11:16:02 +0530
Dear Benji,
Here is the Claret School report
South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring
Anjanappa Complex, Lingarajapuram, Hennur Main Road, Bangalore-560 084 Telephone -25473922/25492856,E-Mail-...@satyam.net.in
1/F,
South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring1/F, FACT FINDING INTO THE ALLEGED MOLESTATION OF SCHOOL GIRLS BY FATHER MATHEW, PRINCIPAL OF THE ST.CLARET HIGH SCHOOL
BACKGROUND
Media reports in the Deccan Herald on the 19th of December 2006 pointed out that Father Mathew, principal of the St. Claret High School in Jalahalli Police Station limits had sexually harassed girl students by “using suggestive language” and throwing “his arms around” girls during a school excursion in September 2006. Two of the school girls who were contacted by this Fact Finding Team had complained on December 17th to their respective parents about the alleged sexual harassment meted out them during the trip. The parents’ had then proceeded to file First Information Reports before the Jallahalli Police. Soon after this, a riot like situation erupted in front of the school. Protesters, including parents had urged the police to take action against Father Mathew and to bring him to book for his misbehavior. Father Mathew who had reportedly absconded surrendered before the J C Nagar Police and was released on bail. The school remained closed for a short duration and the church which had intervened in the matter promised that Father Mathew will not be retained as the principal of the school. The school maintained that Father Mathew was innocent and vested interests had falsely complained against him as they disliked the strict standards he expected his students to maintain with regard to their “moral behavior”.
FACTS OF THE CASE
St. Claret’s High School is in Jallahali and Father Mathew has been the principal for about six years. There are allegations that he used to take undue advantage of his students and use to behave inappropriately with girl students. Complaints of him having passed comments and having unnecessarily touched the students have been made. There are also allegations that he used to hug and kiss the students. Instances where he used to ask for personal details and having embarrassed the students have also been pointed out. While these allegations have been made by the students that this team met and also by some parents, his colleagues defend him and point out that no such complaints were ever made before and this is an instance of the students acting on the behest of some one else. His strictness in matters of “morality” has also been cited as a reason for the present incident and his colleagues maintain that the students have been misled.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
· Newspaper Reports
· Visit to the School
· Police
· Interview with the victims
· Interview with Father Jacob
VICTIMS
Names: 1. Priyadarshini
2. Mouna
Age: Fifteen years
Address:
#110, 8th Main, Venkatamma,
M S Ramaiah colony
HMT Main Road
Matikere, Gokula
Bangalore-560054
Statement by the victims
VICTIM 1: Mouna
According to her, father Mathew on the school trip to Delhi allegedly misbehaved with her by hitting her on the thigh which was intended with a sexual intention. He on various occasions had passed personal comments on the inner wear of the girls and also had acted in a way that depicted his sexual intentions. His statements like “can I hug you? Can I kiss you?” on various accounts inside the school premises and also at times in his personal cabin made the girls uncomfortable. He also used to regularly conduct a check of the bags with an intention to check the personal belongings of the girls. He also threatened the girls of withholding their hall tickets and defaming them by associating them with their friends. This made the girls apprehensive of even coming out with the misbehavior in the open. On one account, Mouna complained about the misbehavior of the principal to her teacher Ms Sally. But she was reportedly asked to apologize to the principal, considering it to be a misunderstanding.
VICTIM 2: Priyadarshini
She was in agreement with the statements given by Mouna but also added that the principal used to feel them up by touching their private parts.
Statement by Father Jacob
Father Jacob who was the principal of the St Claret PUC College and Superior of the House, said that, on Sunday by around 11 p.m. there was a lot of noise coming from outside the school premises. There was a large mob that began throwing stones at the church and other buildings in the school. According to Father Jacob the mob comprised mainly of youth, who had jumped over the school gate and beaten Father Jacob as well as another priest. This incident was reported to the police.
It later came to Father Jacobs’s knowledge that a complaint of sexual harassment had been filed against Father Mathew.
According to Father Jacob, Father Mathew had gone to attend a conference in Sarjapur when the news was reported to him.
On Monday a large gathering was present in front of the school and didn’t allow the school to function. Father Jacob then complained to the arch-bishop who later arrived. When the Arch-bishop arrived he was also beaten and dragged out of his car. His driver as well as his secretary was beaten and they have suffered injuries.
A meeting was proposed by Father Jacob with the parents, of whom many agreed to participate. But some anti-social elements threatened to disrupt the meeting and as a result of that many of the parents, who had earlier consented to the meeting, refused to take part in the meeting because of fear.
Even when classes were conducted some Kannada associations entered the school premises and stoned the buildings and 3 buses.
Fr. Jacob and Fr. Mathew were good friends and after the trip to New Delhi, Fr. Mathew had told Fr. Jacob that he was feeling guilty. And when asked what the reason for that was, he said that during the train journey the students were singing songs and even Fr. Mathew had joined them. He patted a girl named Mona, on the thigh, who took it as an offence and asked him to behave. At the occurrence of this incident Fr. Mathew immediately apologized to the student and said that he hadn’t meant any offence.
Fr. Mathew was strict in school and didn’t want the school’s reputation to go down. So he was very strict with the class. Mr. Anthony, who had earlier been part of the school and was sent out from the school for various reasons, had begun taking tuitions. Mr. Anthony used to speak ill of the school and the staff with the children. When confronted by FR. Mathew he was angered even more and was keen to take revenge by asking the girls to falsely charge Fr. Mathew of sexual harassment. So Fr. Jacob says it is all a game that is being played by the students and Mr. Anthony. He also suggests a strong political nexus in the case.
OBSERVATIONS
The victims have taken nearly six months to report sexual harassment by their principal to their own parents. Such a delay reflects that the victims were not aware that the treatment meted out to them was offensive and illegal. Sensitization about issues of sexual abuse is required. Children should be educated on these issues and they should be able to raise the alarm or better still be trained to combat these kind of situations.
Recommendations:
1. The principle should be replaced immediately until the investigation is over.
2. The department of education should immediately order enquiry and take action.
3. Sexual harassment and molestation is a criminal offence. Therefore, FIR is to be filed and polish should investigate. The accused, if found guilty under Sec 502 and 509 of the IPC, should be given severe punishment.
4. Professional counseling should be arranged for the victim children.
5. The department of education should order setting up of the complaints committee on sexual harassment as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court in the Visakha case.
In order to curb such heinous acts in future, a committee should be constituted within schools which should look into such matters.
Fact finding team:
1. Mary Benny, programme coordinator of DHRC
2. Ms Sheeba Syed
3. Mr Siddarth Nair
4 Gaurav Jit Singh
SICHREM
Anjanappa Complex
#. 35 Hennur Main Road
Lingarajapuram
Bangalore- 560084
Ph: 080- 25473922/ 25492856
Email: con...@sichrem.org, msic...@gmail.com
Web: www.sichrem.org
Twice the fun— Share photos while you chat with Windows Live Messenger.
bangalo...@gmail.com
At the outset let us clarify a few points. The reason we mentioned
about the St. Claret School incident is that people are not aware of
the facts and the media starved of any news to write about just
sensationalized the entire incident.
We are not writing this in defense of St. Claret School. First of all
Benji Bhai we are not coercing you for any reply on this. Tell us:
1. Would the media in general have used the same gutter journalistic
language to describe the incident, say if it had happened in a muslim
institution- Do you remember 1987 and the consequence of that award
winning story published in Deccan Herald. "Mohammed the Idiot". If
our source of information right, the person who spearheaded the riots
for the muslim community then went on to become the Civil Aviation
Minister of the country later.
2. You have forwarded the report from SICHREM. Do you agree with this
report. What was your reaction to this. What moral right does
SICHREM have to compile this report.
3. How can SICHREM be the judge and the executioner.
4. Refer to this link
http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/jan112007/city124462007111.asp
There is a mention of a report by FTR Colaco. Bhenji Bhai, only you
can tell us if this report did see the light of the day and only you
will have access to it. If possible share it with us.
Mr. Joseph Veigas a member of our group can also throw some light on
the above incident, as he has a good circle of contacts from the
Catholic Church.
A very important flaw in the report is that it clearly mentions the
identity of the victims with their postal addresses. No credible fact
finding body in the world will ever do that. Needless to say that
this report from SICHREM is baseless and is only a smear campaign.
Are there no other human rights violations around us for SICHREM to
capitalize. Bhenji Bhai, is this not one of those NGOs flush with
unaccounted foreign funds.
Regards
Moderators
On Apr 12, 1:20 pm, Benjamin P N <benjami...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> A couple of times, I remember, there were references to the St. Claret School indient in 2006. The writers then alleged that sangliana did not raise his little finger to defend the school and Christian institutions. But, what was the truth. Here it is, I am forwarding you the report of a fact-finding team of a well-known human rights organisation, SICHREM. This is not another googly from Benjibhai. Do you want to defend St. Clkaret now?
>
> Please also read my letter to Deccan Herald on this issue>
>
> The Editor Deccan Herald, Bangalore
>
> Sir,
>
> St Claret School affairs: the other story
>
> It is unbecoming of Deccan Herald, known for its sobriety and impartiality in its reporting, to use expressions like "lecherous principal" "wolf in sheep’s clothes" in ‘exposing’ the happenings in the above school. I do not know the priest involved in it nor do I hold any brief for him. I hasten to say that it is quite possible that Fr Mathew has been indiscreet - as all of us, even good people, sometimes are. And I would have accepted that explanation but this morning a friend of mine who has a child in St Claret school called me to find out what I thought of the whole thing. He then told me that the nearby school – M. Theresa’s High School – is owned by a relative of a Minister. I am also told that the minister is angry with the school because many of the recommendations he gives for admission are not accepted by the Principal. I have not verified this statement of my informant. My informant has also told me that M Theresa's is an English medium school; St Claret's is officially a Kannada medium school, where English is being taught; it is gaining much in popularity despite being a Kannada medium school. St Claret's has been trying its best to get official recognition for English as medium and only recently the parents of the school held a rally and have made a representation asking the Minister for Education for English medium. If St Claret's gets permission to have English as medium that would be a blow to M Thereas's School. The children would flock to Claret's. It is to prevent this and to in a way destroy St Claret's that this accusation has been foisted on the Principal, by those associated with M Theresa school, and a great hullabaloo is being made of it. My informant (a Hindu) tells me he has not heard a single complaint about Fr Mathew; he would have, since his child is in the school. My informant does not want to be identified because he is known in the area and his children might be affected.
>
> P.N.BENJAMIN Coordinator Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue(BIRD) 7A, 3rd Cross Da Costa Square Bangalore 560 084 Tel. 2580 0647 21 Dec. 2006 _________________________________________________________________
>
> To: benjami...@hotmail.com
> Subject: Claret School Report
> Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 11:16:02 +0530
>
> Dear Benji,
>
> Here is the Claret School report
>
> Anjanappa Complex
> #. 35 Hennur Main Road
> Lingarajapuram
> Bangalore- 560084
> Ph: 080- 25473922/ 25492856
> Web:www.sichrem.org
> _________________________________________________________________
> Twice the fun—Share photos while you chat with Windows Live Messenger.http://www.microsoft.com/india/windows/windowslive/messenger.aspx
>
> clip_image002.jpg
> 3KViewDownload
>
> clip_image003.gif
> < 1KViewDownload
Benjamin P N
As for Mr. Colaso's report, the less said the better. I do not want to comment on the self-styled 'leaders' of the Christian community. However, please find out from him how many Dalit/poor Christians he helped get a job in the Police dept. when he was in power. Only after one retires from one's service one becomes the defender of one's community.
You have not anwered how many members are there in this group, who are they etc. to prove its credentials, to prove that it is not a Christian group, promoting the political ambitions of a discredited former police chief - the defector.
Grateful if you please let me know your name - identify yourself. This is the common courtesy shown in other e-groups, several of which - some othem international - I am a member.
PN BENJAMIN
> Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:36:38 -0700
> Subject: Re: FW: Claret School Report
> From: bangalo...@gmail.com
> To: bangalor...@googlegroups.com