Over the years, the church has consistently supported the defendants in the case and has rejected all the accusations against them.
In a reaction that is perhaps not unexpected, the Knanaya Catholic Archpark of Kottayam has said that the allegations against Father Joseph Kottoor and Sister Sephy are incredible. Father Joseph Kottoor and Sister Sephy were convicted and sentenced to life in prison by an IWC court in Thiruvananthapuram, for murdering 19-year-old Sister Abhaya in 1992. In response to the verdict, a statement from the PRO church read: “ The charges against the duo are incredible. However, the church respects the court order. The convicted have every right to appeal the sentence and prove their innocence. The archdiocese is saddened and regrets the course of events.
Sister Abhaya and the two convicted persons were part of the same archdiocese. Sister Abhaya was a second-year undergraduate student at BCM College for Women in Kottayam. Father Thomas Kottoor was Sister Abhaya’s teacher, who taught psychology at the university and Sister Sephy was a recluse in the convent. Over the years, the church has consistently supported the defendants in the case and has rejected all the allegations against them. Many witnesses have come forward and talked about how the church has tried to influence them directly or indirectly.
Despite criticism, the church also retained Sephy and Kottoor and during these years, the duo have worked in church-related institutions. In fact, Sister Sephy continued to work in the same convent in various roles, while Father Kottoor was promoted and held key positions in the archdiocese.
The church has also been accused of foiling the investigation by using police officers. The Kerala Crimes Division had concluded that the death was suicide and a police officer named KT Micheal was at the forefront of spreading this theory.
Here is an interview that KT Micheal gave in 1994 in which he categorically stated that Sister Abhaya committed suicide.
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