French diplomat rape case: When it all began

With French national Pascal Mazurier remanded to judicial custody for the next 14 days, the next priority will be to secure the financial security for his wife Suja Jones, said Nina Nayak, chairperson Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. On Friday Suja had registered a rape case against her husband, deputy head of the Chancery at the French Consulate in Bangalore. After much dithering over whether or not he enjoyed diplomatic immunity, he was finally taken into custody by the police on Tuesday morning. “From the day one, our main concern has been securing the financial security of her and her three children. We have sent a formal order yesterday to the French Ambassador,” says Nayak , speaking to Firstpost. [caption id=“attachment_350188” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“French Consulate employee Pascal Mazurier being taken to a hospital for a medical test for his alleged involvement in a sexual abuse case with his daughter, in Bangalore on Tuesday. PTI”]  [/caption] The letter recommends that the allowance that Suja is entitled to as a non-working spouse of a French diplomat be given to her directly. “Earlier the allowance was being sent to a joint bank account and unspent money he seems to have been sending to France,” she adds. The commission has also sought child maintenance for three children and a special allowance for therapeutic care for three-year-old who has been a victim of sexual abuse. Suja has three chidren — three-year-old girl, 21-month-old boy and a seven year-old boy, who is school-going. All three are French nationals. “Our concern has also been that she goes for counseling. Before this incident, she had already initiated counseling at a premium institute in Bangalore. She is now in the best hands. She is with the child psychiatry unit at NIMHANS. And they’ve started a more intensive counseling for the child. In due time, they will also examine the other two children,” says Nayak. The possibility that her other two children were not sexually abused cannot be ruled out and the doctors are not taking any chances. First in denial, then conflicted and confused Suja, says Nayak, went in for counseling after Mazurier turned abusive. “He became abusive which is why she started going for counseling. She started counseling in May. And then all this started coming out. Otherwise, Suja said, he was a good father to her children. He was caring, loving and that is what confused her totally. But now she is on strong ground, she is determined. After the Baptiste hospital report, she made up her mind. Such a heinous crime has been committed by someone whom she trusted so much. That has really shaken her,” says Nayak. Suja’s suspicions began when she was carrying her third child. “It is very disturbing for her. It was shocking. She was in denial. And some of the doctors she went to did not give her upfront confirmation of what she suspected,” says Nayak. Suja’s family — her parents and her sister who lives abroad — are now in Bangalore with her. From Kerala, Suja was born and brought up in Kolkata. She married Mazurier 11 years ago and they moved to India in 2008.  Nayak describes her as “bright and very articulate young woman” who is fluent in Hindi, Malayam, English and French. The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a reply from the French Ambassador within the next seven days.