Follow-up
Serafina's family brought to city for safe shelter
Jatiya Adivasi Parishad (JAP) leaders yesterday took Serafina's father Cornelius Mardi and sister Sabina Mardi to Rajshahi city from their Amtulipara village home in Godagari upazila for arranging safe shelter.
"They have been brought here as they were under pressure of the community at the village," JAP general secretary Rabindranath Soren said.
Gang-raped on April 4 last year, indigenous girl Serafina, 14, recently committed suicide following out-of-court settlement by own community leaders who decided her marriage with one of the rapists.
Local chapters of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association and Bangladesh Mohila Parishad have started working to provide legal support to the victim's family members who are now facing ill-treatment by their own community.
Meanwhile, the authority of Rajshahi Catholic Diocese is defending Father Bernard Tudu of Surshunipara Catholic Church who was arrested by police on charge of provoking Serafina's suicide through illegal out of court settlement.
William Murmu, a Father of the diocese, told this correspondent that they employed lawyers to legally tackle the case of Father Bernard as he was not involved in the settlement.
He, however, said Bernard should not have kept the deposit of the 'settlement money' to him and hand it over to the victim's family on behalf of the settlement committee.
Bernard also should not have allowed the settlement committee to hold the meeting on the church premises, William added.
Father William explained that they are defending the accused priest as the Bishop of the diocese who has authority to decide about Fathers is outside the country now.
"It was Father Bernard who gave us support for filing the case for rape of Serfina. But he did not support us later. Instead, he, sided with other community leaders, pressurised us to follow the salish [out-of-court settlement],” Cornelius Mardi told this correspondent.
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