2004 RIBANDAR CHURCH CASE TRIAL TO CONTINUE ON JUNE 16TH

PANJIM: The trial of Adv. Aires Rodrigues and 14 other Ribandar residents in the 2004 Ribandar Church case will continue on June 16th at 10 am before the Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class Mrs. Sarika Faldessai.

The Court will continue with the cross examination of Prosecution witness who is a PWD employee Mrs. Cynthia Fernandes and was a member of the church committee headed by then Ribandar Parish Priest Fr. Newton Rodrigues. The Court will also examine Old Goa Police Sub Inspector H.L.Hanshakutti who had initially investigated the case. The last prosecution witness Crime Branch Inspector Braz Menezes who was also one of the Investigating officers of the case will depose in Court on June 21st

Adv. Aires Rodrigues will then examine his witnesses which include Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao, Mrs. Conceicao Frois the mother of the minor girl who was allegedly molested by Fr. Newton Rodrigues, Mr. Michael Fernandes, husband of Ribandar CCP Corporator Vivina Nasnodkar who was a panch witness but not examined by the prosecution and Superintendent of Police Mr. Bosco George a parishioner of Ribandar Church and who was ADC to then Goa Governor S.C. Jamir when the case filed by the mother of the minor girl against Fr. Newton Rodrigues.

The Court has already issued a fresh warrant of arrest against Father Newton Rodrigues for not being present in Court despite being summoned. It was on Fr. Newton Rodrigues’s complaint that Adv. Aires Rodrigues and 14 other Ribandar residents were charge sheeted for entering the church and disturbing a church committee meeting.

In 2004 Adv. Aires Rodrigues was leading an agitation demanding action against Fr. Newton Rodrigues for having allegedly molested a 13 year old girl from Ribandar.

While Adv. Aires Rodrigues and others were charge sheeted for confronting Fr. Newton Rodrigues, the case filed against Fr.Newton Rodrigues by the mother of the 13 year old girl who was allegedly molested by Fr. Newton was closed.

A First Information Report (F.I.R) was registered at the Old Goa Police Station on 18th August 2004 against Fr. Newton Rodrigues for having allegedly molested the minor girl. The F.I.R was registered against Fr. Newton Rodrigues under Sec 354 of Indian Penal Code and Section 8(2) of the Goa Children’s Act. The mother in her complaint to the police had stated that Fr. Newton Rodrigues had taken the minor girl to his bedroom on the pretext of confession and had molested her.

The then Senior Superintendent of Police (Crime) and the Director of Prosecution had opined that it was a fit case for charge sheeting Fr Newton Rodrigues but then Governor of Goa Mr. S.C Jamir reportedly intervened to save Fr. Newton Rodrigues from being charge sheeted. On 14th July 2005 the case file was sent to Governor S.C. Jamir and on 31st August 2005 the police submitted a report to the Children’s Court that the case against Fr. Newton Rodrigues be closed. Fr. Newton Rodrigues was later relieved from the Archdiocese of Goa and moved to Canada.