India Nun Raped: Christians Condemn Horror Rape of 75-Year-Old Nun, Blame Government

Church officials and the public condemned the alleged rape of a 75-year-old nun in a high school in Nadia district, West Bengal, India, by a suspected robber who was part of a gang that barged into the facility on Saturday.

The suspects entered the Convent of Jesus and Mary High School and one of them was alleged to have raped the nun after she tried to stop them from looting the school.

Christians prayed and held vigils all over India to protest against the rape, the worst in a series of incidents that followers of the faith said are making them feel unwelcome in their own country. They also accused the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not doing enough to protect Christians.

"It's a very, very shameful act," said Delhi Catholic Archdiocese spokesperson Father Dominic, according to Reuters. "First of all to rape any woman, any female is a horrible and shameful act."

"But this one becomes even worse, first of all, because she is an old lady, and then on top of it, she's a nun. She is a religious (and) has consecrated her life to God and all her life she has remained a virgin," he said.

P.B. Salim, chief administrator of the West Bengal state's Nadia district, said the suspects tied the raped nun along with two other nuns and the building guard, according to CNN.

The suspects then fled with a few hundred thousand rupees and a number of laptop computers, Salim said.

"Physically, she is better. But the mental trauma will take its own time to heal," Salim said of the raped nun.

No arrests have been made and authorities are still investigating the incident.

CNN reported that a series of rape cases involving girls and tourists has hurt India's image.

India's lawmakers have introduced tougher laws for sexual crimes and harassment but sexual violence continues, the TV news network said.

Last January, five men were arrested in Kolkata for raping a Japanese tourist while last December, an Uber driver was accused of sexually assaulting a passenger.

CNN said rape cases in India jumped to almost 875 percent in the last 40 years, from 1,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011.