Father Antony Devassey Punnackal, who stated he was a former pastor in Crossville, TN  confessed to having sexually assaulted a woman.

The plaintiff, a woman who had just given birth to her third child, was mourning the loss of the baby’s father. He had been murdered in early February 2020.  The plaintiff called the Saint Mary’s Catholic Church to request a meeting for “emotional support and spiritual guidance”. Even though the plaintiff’s language is Spanish, the church clerk made arrangements for the Plaintiff to meet with Father Punnackal despite him knowing how to communicate with the language barrier. When the plaintiff entered the room, Punnackal locked the doors behind them and proceeded to ask her inappropriate questions about her breasts. According to the lawsuit, Punackal “began fondling Plaintiff’s breast and buttocks” Punnackal continued his assault even when the plaintiff rebuffed but finally unlocked the doors. The woman reported the assault to law enforcement. The law enforcement then reported to the Diocese which took no action and continued letting Punnackal remain a Preist at St Mary’s Catholic Church.

According to the plaintiff, Punnackal’s wrongdoing had left her incapable of dealing with the normal demands of life. She was unaware to file a civil action until January 2022. Since the time of her assault,  documents show that Punnackal has continued being a priest.

Punnackal was indicted by a Sevier County Grand Jury in January 2022 on one count of sexual battery by an authority figure and one count of sexual battery for the same incident.

Punnackal has been suspended from active ministry, the Knoxville Diocese said on Friday. He is still listed online as the pastor of Saint Mary Catholic Church in Gatlinburg.

FULL STORY HERE