Mangaluru Priest Arrested in POCSO Case

Mangaluru South police arrested Catholic priest Cyprian Pinto in connection with allegations of sexual abuse involving minors at a church in Mangaluru. Police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after a complaint, and the allegations have not been established in court. Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said officers arrested Pinto at a relative’s house. One report said he was found in Sakleshpur, in Hassan district, after police searched for him following the case registration. The investigation is ongoing. The complaint, as described in police and case reporting, concerns alleged misconduct toward boys who visited the church. According to the First Information Report, one complainant alleged repeated sexual assault of a minor boy and said friends had described similar experiences. Another account said parents of two children lodged a complaint after the children told them about alleged harassment. The details of the alleged conduct, including claims about incidents inside rooms near the church sacristy, come from complaints and have not been independently established. Pinto’s arrest is not a finding of guilt. A senior...