Father Antony Punnackal cleared of Sevier charges
By Bill Brewer
A jury in Sevier County has found Father Antony Punnackal not guilty of criminal charges brought against him last year.
Father Punnackal, a priest with the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate order, was accused by a woman of two counts of sexual battery stemming from a grief-counseling session in February 2020. Father Punnackal served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg from 2014 until he took a leave of absence in 2022.
Father Punnackal has denied any allegations of assault. He has been on a leave of absence since shortly after he was indicted by a Sevier County grand jury on two counts of sexual battery in January 2022.
However, at trial on the charges in Sevier County Circuit Court Nov. 15-16, jurors agreed Father Punnackal did not commit the offenses of which he was accused.
Father Punnackal was represented at trial by Sevier County lawyer Travis McCarter, who praised jurors for their decision after hearing two days of testimony.
“My client is a tremendous human being, and we are happy to show the world that he is innocent of these accusations,” Mr. McCarter said. “I’m never surprised that the grand jury indicted because they only hear one side of the story, and the defendant doesn’t get a chance to present any evidence at that stage of the proceedings. When I was able to see the totality of the evidence, I was surprised they brought charges to begin with.”
The woman who made the accusations against Father Punnackal has only been identified as “Jane Doe.” Her lawyer did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
The Sevier County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Father Punnackal following an investigation by Sevier and Gatlinburg authorities.
“We respect the jury’s verdict. May God bless everyone in this case,” Sevier County district attorney general Jimmy Dunn said after the trial.
The woman who made the accusations has filed a separate civil complaint in federal court against Father Punnackal and the Diocese of Knoxville. Mr. McCarter also is representing the priest in the federal complaint, which has been on hold pending the outcome of the criminal complaint.
In the Sevier County trial, jurors deliberated for 90 minutes before returning their verdict.
“I thought we did a really good job of showing that the allegations were fabricated,” said Mr. McCarter, who noted that Father Punnackal gave an audio statement but did not testify.
When asked about the federal civil complaint against Father Punnackal and the Diocese of Knoxville, Mr. McCarter said, “I expect a similar outcome.”
Mr. McCarter said it was important to note that in the criminal case, all 12 jurors had to reach agreement for a verdict to be entered. He said a verdict cannot be rendered if a single juror or more are in disagreement.
“It’s not a situation where only one juror found reasonable doubt. All 12 jurors have to agree for a verdict of not guilty to be returned,” the defense lawyer said.
The Diocese of Knoxville released a statement following Father Punnackal’s acquittal.
“With great relief, I want you to know that a jury in Sevier County has found Father Antony Punnackal not guilty of all criminal charges brought against him last year. The stress Father Punnackal had to endure in the many months leading up to his trial must have been unimaginable, but he always maintained his innocence, and we are grateful that the jury heard the testimony, evaluated the evidence, and agreed,” Father Doug Owens said in a message to Diocese of Knoxville priests, religious, and employees on Nov. 17.
Father Owens is pastor of All Saints Parish in Knoxville and also serves as the delegate of the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Knoxville, who is Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre.
“Back when Father Punnackal was first charged, the diocese said that we would not comment on the case at that time, and that we trusted the legal process. We remain committed to that trust. Soon, we hope to hear more about a civil lawsuit brought against the diocese in this matter. We will refrain from commenting on it until its fate can be decided,” Father Owens continued. “A final note on Father Punnackal: His ministry to the people of the diocese, and especially to those at St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg where he most recently served, has been a tremendous gift. The decision to remove him from active ministry was difficult, but necessary. No matter what he decides for his future, his vision and work, especially helping the people of Gatlinburg in their recovery from the 2016 wildfires, and building a new parish family life center, will remain lasting symbols of his work here. Please keep Father Punnackal in your prayers.”
Father Punnackal has led St. Mary during a time of continued growth and managed, with parishioners, a project to build a parish life center. The center was dedicated on Aug. 22, 2021.
And in 2016, Father Punnackal led St. Mary Parish through a challenging period when wildfires spread into Gatlinburg in November 2016 and burned down many buildings, killing 14 people. The fires burned structures adjacent to St. Mary and caused smoke damage to the church.
St. Mary Church was closed for several days, as was the city of Gatlinburg, as officials assessed damage. However, Father Punnackal kept St. Mary parishioners together and engaged, and the church soon reopened and restarted its ministries.
