Man sentenced to 10 years’ RI for sexually assaulting 14-year-old niece

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The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court on Monday sentenced a 67-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh for sexually assaulting his 14-year-old niece.

Special Judge Anju Meera Birla pronounced the verdict against the accused and ordered that the he must undergo an additional two years of imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. The court also ordered that the fine amount be given to the survivor, and directed the government to provide additional compensation to her.

According to the prosecution led by Special Public Prosecutor R.S. Vijay Mohan, the incident had taken place on June 12, 2024. The accused and the survivor lived on separate floors of the same house. The accused is the husband of the survivor’s maternal aunt.

On the day of the incident, the accused came to the ground floor of the house, where the survivor and her grandfather resided, to deliver morning meals and medicines to his father-in-law. Finding the minor girl standing in the hall preparing for school, he subjected her to sexual assault.

The girl confided in a friend later the same day, and later informed her mother and school teachers, which led to complaints being filed with the Child Welfare Committee and the police. It was later revealed that while the abuse had occurred multiple times prior to the particular incident, the survivor remained silent out of fear of family disputes.

Since the survivor was adopted by her parents, the family did not possess precise records of her birth date. During the trial, the defense argued that the survivor was a major and that the POCSO Act would not apply.

However, the prosecution filed a petition for an ossification test, which scientifically proved that the girl was indeed a minor. The case was investigated by the Karamana police.

The prosecution examined 18 witnesses and presented 26 documents and one material object during the trial.  

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