A Christian dad in India claimed falsely that he had raped his own daughter in order to 'protect the priest and the Church' after she became pregnant and had a baby.

The truth of the father's 'confession' has emerged after police arrested Fr Robin Vadakkuncheril, 48, of the Mananthavady diocese, in what is the most serious sex scandal ever to emerge from the Catholic establishment in Kerala, according to India Express.

Vadakkuncheril was arrested last Thursday on charges of raping the girl, aged 17, in his parish of St Sebastian's in Kottiyoor. He was detained through the weekend.

The father, a farm labourer, told India Express: 'The priest betrayed our family and our faith in the Church. After my daughter delivered the baby, he wanted someone to take responsibility for the birth. How could I find someone for this job? Finally, I had to falsely state that I was the father of my daughter's baby. As a believer, I also wanted to avoid the disgrace falling on the priest and the Church.

'But I realised the seriousness of the crime after police arrested me as the rapist of my own daughter. They told me that I would be jailed for several years. That was when I revealed the name of the priest.'

He said the priest paid the hospital bill for the birth.

Police said the priest raped the girl during the summer holidays last year when she was working on the parish computers.