Bangladeshi priest cleared of rape six years after allegation

The original accusation in 2020 attracted widespread public attention in Bangladesh, where Christians make up less than one per cent of the population and clergy are highly visible figures within the small Catholic community.

A Bangladeshi court acquitted a Catholic priest of raping a teenage girl in a case that has deeply divided a local Christian community and cast a long shadow over the Church for nearly six years.

Judge Sharanim Akhtar of Rajshahi’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 delivered the verdict on 12 July, clearing Fr Pradeep Gregory, 47, of all charges. The priest, who was present in court, welcomed the decision, while the girl’s family and state prosecutors expressed disappointment and said they would challenge the ruling in the High Court.

The case dates from September 2020, when a 15-year-old Christian girl from Mahalipara village in Tanor, Rajshahi district, was reported missing. According to the case file, she disappeared while cutting grass near her home. Her elder brother subsequently filed a general diary with police.

The family later learned that the girl was at St John Mary Vianney Church in Mahalipara, where Fr Gregory was serving at the time. Allegations emerged that she had been kept on church premises and had not been immediately returned to her family. On 29 September 2020, following a statement from the girl, her brother filed a rape case against Fr Gregory.

The allegations attracted widespread public attention in Bangladesh, where Christians make up less than one per cent of the population and clergy are highly visible figures within the small Catholic community. The case also became a source of pain and uncertainty for local Catholics, many of whom followed the proceedings closely over the years.

Speaking after the verdict, Fr Premu T. Rozario, chancellor of the Diocese of Rajshahi, described the ruling as a moment of vindication for the Church.

“Truth has triumphed. We have got justice,” he told The Tablet. “Fr Pradeep has suffered a lot, made sacrifices and struggled for the past six years. We are happy to have him back.”

Fr Rozario said diocesan leaders would meet to discuss whether to pursue legal action for defamation against those involved in filing the case. He also alleged that Fr Gregory had been targeted through a false accusation as part of an attempt to extract money, a claim that has not been tested in court.

The priest’s lawyer Habibur Rahman maintained throughout the proceedings that the allegations were unsupported by evidence.

“A rape case was filed, but no evidence of rape was presented before the court against Fr Pradeep,” he said, adding that he believed there had been a conspiracy to implicate the priest.

For Fr Gregory, the verdict marked the end of a prolonged and highly public legal battle.

“I am happy today,” he told reporters after leaving court. “I have suffered a lot for six long years.”

The ruling, however, has done little to ease the concerns of the complainant’s family. The plaintiff said key documents could not be presented during the trial, alleging that important materials had repeatedly gone missing.

“We have not received justice,” the family member said. “This is a very suspicious matter. We will appeal this verdict to the High Court.”

The case highlights the tensions that can arise when criminal allegations intersect with religious institutions and close-knit minority communities. While Church officials have welcomed the acquittal as a restoration of Fr Gregory’s reputation, the decision is unlikely to bring a final end to the dispute.

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