A 38-year-old labourer has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment by a special court for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old in 2018. The man had called the girl, who was playing in her balcony, to his home and sexually assaulted her. The man, who had been in jail during the trial, had pleaded for leniency from the court on the grounds that his children were dependent on him and had no one to look after them. However, the court observed that the accused had committed the offense on a child in his neighborhood and deprived his own children of care and protection.
Leniency plea rejected by court
Special Judge Priti Kumar (Ghule) said in the judgment that persons who show disrespect towards minors in their neighborhood will be punished, and such acts not only affect the person's own life but also the lives of their dependents. The incident took place in November 2018, around 2 pm when the child was playing in her balcony. The accused gestured for her to come to his home, and when she went there, he sexually assaulted her. The child cried out in pain, and the accused told her to leave and not tell anyone.
Child revealed the ordeal to her mother
The child ran home crying and later revealed her ordeal to her mother, who informed the police. The accused fled the scene but was later arrested. The court's decision to impose a rigorous imprisonment sentence sends a strong message that such heinous acts will not be tolerated in society. The safety and protection of children must be given top priority, and perpetrators of such crimes must be punished severely.
