RTI REVEALS FATHER NEWTON RODRIGUES HAD PINCHED MINOR GIRL’S BREAST

PANJIM: The then Parish Priest of Ribandar Fr. Newton Rodrigues and now Pastor of St. Bernadette Church at Calgary in Canada had allegedly just before 2003 Christmas midnight mass pinched the breast of his 13 year old parishioner.

This has been revealed in the copies of the noting sheets of the molestation case that was registered against Father Newton Rodrigues now obtained by Adv. Aires Rodrigues from the Crime Branch under the Right to Information Act.

The alleged molestation of the 13 year old by her Parish Priest took place just before midnight mass. The mother in her complaint had stated that Fr. Newton Rodrigues had taken the minor girl to his bedroom on the pretext of confession and had molested her.

After the alleged incident the victim returned home crying and her mother rushed to the church to question Father Newton Rodrigues as to why he had molested her daughter after which Father Newton Rodrigues apologized to her.

The notings further reveal that a 14 year old friend of the victim in her statement to the police had stated that she and the victim had reached the church at around 22.30 hours to prepare for the skit they were supposed to participate in before midnight mass. The victim was to act as “Mother Mary” in that skit. The victim’s friend in her statement further stated that when they arrived at the church Fr Newton Rodrigues took the victim inside the room and had asked her to wait outside. The friend in her statement also stated that the victim came out crying from Father Newton Rodrigues’s room and that she later accompanied the victim to her home where the victim informed her mother that she was pinched on her breast by Father Newton Rodrigues. The victim girl did not participate in the skit she was scheduled to that night.

One of the witnesses a 12 year old boy in his statement to the police stated that he had seen the victim’s mother questioning the Parish Priest at around 11 pm. Another witness a 10 year old girl in her statement to the police stated that when she arrived at the church at 10.50 pm with her parents for midnight mass she was at the last minute told to dress as “Mother Play” to substitute the victim girl.

Ms Desiree Albuquerque in her statement to the police stated that just before midnight mass she was told by Father Newton Rodrigues to replace the victim by another girl for the role of “Mother Mary”

The notings further reveal that Father Newton Rodrigues in his statement to the police stated that while he was talking to the victim at around 10.40 pm he had pointed to the pendant worn by the victim. Father Newton Rodrigues further told the police that as the victim gave a jerk his hand touched her breast by mistake and that he had apologized to the victim’s mother after she came and abused him.

The notings also reveal that the statements of the victim, her mother and 9 others including the accused Father Newton Rodrigues were recorded by the police. The statements of the minors were recorded by the police in the presence of representative of an NGO – CRG, Children Rights in Goa.