The Karnataka Police have registered a second case against Father Cyprian Pinto, a 65-year-old priest at St Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia, Mangaluru, over allegations of sexually abusing a minor boy. The latest FIR comes amid allegations that earlier complaints against the priest were not acted upon and that some children and their families were subsequently intimidated from pursuing the matter, as reported in Indian Express.
The second FIR was registered at the Mangaluru Women’s Police Station under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, following a complaint alleging that Pinto sexually abused a 13-year-old boy on May 13. The boy reportedly attended Sunday prayers at a church where Pinto was serving as parish priest at the time.
Pinto was transferred to St Vincent Ferrer Church in Valencia on May 26, after completing a six-year tenure at Permannur.
Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H confirmed that Pinto had been arrested and produced before a court on October 18. He reportedly remained in judicial custody until October 30, when he was released on bail. The Commissioner said the investigation into the first case was continuing, while an Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Central Subdivision was investigating the second case.
Allegations of Intimidation
The allegations first came to light in August, when eight boys reportedly approached Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha with complaints against Pinto. Five of them are said to have submitted individual letters detailing the alleged abuse. However, only one boy came forward to file a police complaint, leading to the registration of the first FIR.
Sources reportedly said that fear of threats and concerns linked to their religious community had prevented the other children from approaching the police.
Mangaluru-based NGO Odanadi, which works with survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking, subsequently brought the allegations to the police’s attention and sought an investigation into the handling of the complaints.
On October 30, a delegation of community members reportedly approached the Police Commissioner, accusing Ronald Rodrigues, vice-president of St Vincent Ferrer Church, of intimidating the children and their families.
Activists alleged that some families were pressured in the name of religion and community, and warned about the consequences of repeatedly approaching police stations and courts. They were also allegedly cautioned about the possible impact on their children’s education and the risk of their identities being exposed.
The initial police inquiry had also come under scrutiny after it emerged that statements had reportedly been recorded from Pinto and two Church functionaries, but not from the alleged victims or their parents. The inquiry had concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated, despite a request from the District Child Protection Unit to speak to the children and their families.
Commissioner Reddy subsequently acknowledged lapses at the inspector and police station levels and assigned an ACP-rank officer to examine them.
32-Year-Old Man Makes Separate Allegation; NGO Seeks SIT Probe
Separately, a 32-year-old man has come forward on social media, alleging that Pinto sexually abused him when he was younger. He claimed that the abuse took place on multiple occasions, including in the sacristy, at the priest’s residence and during a trip to Velankanni.
The man reportedly said that he had remained silent for years and decided to speak out after seeing discussions about the allegations against Pinto. He has since submitted a complaint by email to the Mangaluru Police Commissioner.
Odanadi has also approached the Karnataka High Court’s Juvenile Justice Committee, alleging that four other children who were prepared to file complaints had been intimidated into hesitating. The NGO has sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to establish whether complaints were deliberately suppressed, examine the role of Church functionaries who may have known about the allegations but failed to report them, and identify other possible survivors from the parishes where Pinto served.
Odanadi co-founder Stanley K V said the NGO wanted an independent SIT investigation to ensure that victims did not turn hostile due to pressure or threats and could come forward to depose without fear. He also called for an inquiry into the role of those who allegedly knew about the complaints but failed to report them to the authorities.
Stanley further sought protection for the children, their parents and witnesses against intimidation, along with a dedicated mechanism through which other possible victims could report abuse safely.
According to the Diocese of Mangalore’s official profile, Pinto was ordained on 2 May 1988. He served as an assistant parish priest in Karkala between 1988 and 1991, followed by postings as parish priest at Hirgan, Kaikamba, Loreto, Udyavar, Vamanjoor and Permannur, before being transferred to Valencia in 2026.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
