Breaking down in the courtroom after a special court pronounced the death penalty to a 35-year-old man convicted for the sexual assault and murder of her nine-year-old daughter in 2019, the mother of the victim said later that her son, who was about 5-years-old at the time of the incident, has still not been told about the incident with his sister and thinks that she lives at a hostel.
The child's body was found in a decomposing condition in the septic tank of a slum on Apr 6, 2019, two days after the incident.
The victim's brother was with his mother and uncle at court on Friday, the day fixed for sentencing, but was told the family is there for official work. "Our family has never been the same after the incident. We had never once raised our hand at the child. And there was no part of her body that was without bruises," said the emotional mother. Since the incident, the child's father who was immensely fond of her, has now lost his will to live and keeps falling sick, she said. "He never goes anywhere or speaks with anyone," she said of her husband.
The mother said she wanted the man to get a death sentence so he never comes out to do this to another child. "He should be hanged soon," she said with teary eyes. Her daughter was a child who got bothered by even the slightest scratch and her whole body was bloated, such that she could not even look at her child, she said.
The minor had been on her way to a nearby shop after returning from school around 6.15 pm and had gone missing. As per the police probe, Vadivel had called the child and she had followed him. He had then sexually assaulted and murdered her, disposing of her body in a septic tank.
The mother said about the last time she saw her daughter before the incident. "She was very hungry, but I sent her to the shop. I always think that I should have fed her nicely," she said, adding, "She comes in my dreams many times and tells 'Amma, save me'."
