No immunity for French diplomat accused of raping daughter?

A French official accused of raping his three year old daughter in Bangalore may not get immunity from facing trial in India since he does not possess a diplomatic passport. Pascal Mazurier, Deputy Head of Chancery in the Consulate of France, Bangalore, “holds a service passport and not a diplomatic passport,” official sources were quoted as saying by PTI. As a result he can face prosecution under Indian law and does not enjoy diplomatic immunity. However, there has been no official word from the French embassy or the Ministry of External Affairs on the issue. A release from the French consulate in Bangalore said they had received information that a complaint had been lodged about the rape of the girl, who is a French national. " The complaint names the father of the child, who is a consular agent of this Consulate-General," the statement says, adding that the French consulate is co-operating with authorities investigating the case. [caption id=“attachment_347575” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Representational image. AFP”]  [/caption] Mazurier’s wife, Suja Jones Mazurier, who is an Indian citizen, had in a letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna appealed to the government to ensure that the official faces trial in India. She has also accused her husband of restricting access to their jointly held bank account and has sought financial assistance. The child’s mother reported the case to police with the help of a Bangalore-based NGO after her maid told her that the three-year-and-ten-month-old child was sexually abused. The mother immediately took her child to a private hospital at Hebbal which confirmed the sexual assault. Mazurier has been booked in a case of rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Suneel Kumar said that the victim had undergone a medical examination and they were awaiting the report. Suja had requested that her husband be restrained from leaving the country till legal proceedings were completed and that under no circumstance should he be allowed custody of their children, who are French nationals. Asha S Basu, counsel for Suja Jones Mazurier, who has written the letters on her behalf, had sought protection for her client and her children. Suja had said she and Mazurier have three children- a seven year-old son, the victim and a 20-month-old son.