Before Pradeep Gregory, a priest in Rajshahi, was arrested on rape charges, religious and community leaders tried to settle the matter in an arbitration, promising to take responsibility of the girl and her family members in exchange for their silence.

Pradeep was arrested around 11:45pm on September 29 from Rajshahi Catholic Diocese in Umorpur area of the city on charges of confining a 15-year-old indigenous girl to a church for three days and raping her, said Additional Superintendent of Police ATM Mynul Islam of Rab-5.

After the incident came to light, leaders of the Rajshahi diocese attempted an out-of-court settlement even though another such attempt by them had gone very wrong 10 years ago.

In February 2011, Serafina Mardi, a gang-rape victim, set herself on fire, protesting the settlement forced on her by community leaders and a catholic church in Godagari upazila. At that time, the church's priest was also arrested.

In the recent incident, the Tanore girl's brother filed a case with Tanore Police Station on September 29, accusing Gregory for raping his sister by confining her to his residence inside the church in the upazila.

Rapid Action Battalion arrested the priest the same night.

The girl's brother told The Daily Star that priests from Rajshahi diocese went to the church to sit in an arbitration on September 28 after locals discovered the girl at the priest's residence inside the church.

The seventh-grader had been missing for three days. The church authorities also refused to return the girl, her brother alleged.

Leaders of indigenous Mahle community were also present in the arbitration, he said, adding that they promised to take their responsibility if they kept mum.

Cases of rape and repression on children and women are non-compoundable and mandatory to be settled in court by laws of the land, Samina Begum, coordinator of Rajshahi chapter of BLAST, an NGO often dealing with such cases, said.

"Settling rape cases outside court is an offence. Those responsible or involved in such activities can be treated as abettors," she said.

The girl's brother also mentioned about the arbitration in his first information report (FIR) filed with Tanore Police Station, said Additional SP Mahmudul Hasan.

"We are investigating the case. Police will take legal action if anyone is found involved in abetting the perpetrator," he added.

Talking to The Daily Star, Rajshahi Diocese Bishop Gervas Rozario admitted he sent three senior priests -- Paul Gomes, William Murmu and Emanuel Rozario -- to the Tanore church to look into the matter.

He said they were unaware of the non-compoundable crime of rape at that time.

"The senior priests reported to me that they found faults in both the parties (the girl and accused priest). The girl was bothering the priest, saying that she wanted to stay with him," he said.

He said the diocese authorities promised to take care of the girl and her family as she during the meeting expressed fear that her family might not accept her after the incident.

"Also, we wanted to prevent scandals about the church," he said.

However, Paul Gomes, one of the priests sent by the diocese to look into the matter, said they had sufficient facts to consider that the girl was "exploited".

She had been missing for three days and Priest Gregory had not reported it to anyone even after he knew her location inside his residence, he said.

"We recommended highest punishment for the priest [Gregory] for tainting the holy image of the church," he said, admitting that they did not inform the matter to police.

He also admitted that they had promised the girl's family "safety and security" during the arbitration and did not inform police to "protect" the girl.

The accused priest was sent to Rajshahi Catholic Diocese and his title -- priest -- was withdrawn temporarily, said Bishop Rozario.

Among others, community leaders Michael Hembrom, Mohesh Murmu and Kamel Mardi were also present in the arbitration, the girl's brother said.

Talking to reporters, Kamel Mardi on September 29 also said they tried to resolve the issue within themselves for the benefit of all. He did not elaborate any further.  

When asked, the girl's brother said, "During the meeting, I felt cornered as if it was my sister's fault. I knew we won't get justice. So, I decided to report the incident."

After the meeting, the priests from Rajshahi took Gregory with them to the city as if they wanted to save him since locals were getting angry over the incident, he said.

Rakibul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Tanore Police Station, said they are waiting for the medical reports from Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where the girl was sent for tests.

He said she also gave a statement before a Rajshahi court in this regard.