‘The Hindu’ published a deeply flawed and biased report of the tragic incident at St. Joseph Convent Hostel in Eluru, where a teenage girl in training to become a nun allegedly gave birth and threw her newborn from a window. The newspaper conspicuously omits key details, such as the involvement of a trainee priest and the church-run nature of the institution, choosing instead to focus on procedural failures. This selective reporting appears to deliberately shield the religious institution from scrutiny, raising serious concerns about The Hindu’s journalistic integrity and its consistent failure to provide a complete, unbiased narrative when it comes to church-related incidents.
Tragedy At St. Joseph Convent Hostel
On 8 December 2024, at the St. Joseph Convent Hostel in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, a devastating incident occurred involving a teenage girl training to become a nun and allegedly in a relationship with a trainee priest. The girl, a second-year intermediate student, gave birth in secret, reportedly assisted by her fellow hostel residents. Tragically, moments after the birth, the newborn was thrown out of a window, resulting in its death. Authorities have taken a trainee priest into custody for questioning, suspecting his involvement.
However, The Hindu’s report on the matter stands out, not for its depth of coverage but for its glaring omissions and deliberate whitewashing of crucial aspects of the story.
In its article, The Hindu conveniently omits the religious angle of the incident, refraining from mentioning that the Diocese of Eluru runs the St. Joseph Convent hostel or that the girl involved was reportedly training to become a nun. Even more conspicuous is the absence of any mention of the alleged involvement of a trainee priest, who is suspected of misconduct and is reportedly under investigation.
Instead, The Hindu chooses to present the event in a sanitized manner, focusing solely on procedural aspects—such as the failure of the hostel administration to notice the girl’s pregnancy and the absence of proper records—while sidestepping the deeply problematic institutional and ethical issues tied to the church-run facility.
This selective reporting raises serious questions about The Hindu’s journalistic integrity and accountability. When similar incidents occur in institutions associated with other communities, The Hindu often highlights those affiliations, sparking widespread debate and criticism. However, in this case, it appears the publication has taken pains to avoid discussing the institutional and religious context, thereby shielding the church from scrutiny.
The public deserves accurate and complete reporting, not a diluted narrative designed to sidestep uncomfortable truths. By secularizing the story, The Hindu seems to be deliberately ignoring the broader context of sexual abuse in Church-run institutions.
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