The Indian Catholic Church has defended itself over how it handled allegations of sexual abuse reported by the BBC. The BBC reported two cases where Cardinal Oswald Gracias was claimed to have failed to respond quickly or offer support to the victims. Cardinal Gracias, who is the Archbishop of Mumbai, is tipped by some as the next possible Pope. Victims and those who supported them allege that Cardinal Gracias did not take allegations of abuse seriously when they were reported to him. When he reached Rome, the cardinal phoned the bishop, who told him the family had subsequently informed the police themselves.

Source: The Star February 22, 2019 15:45 UTC