India News | Delhi court sentences man to life imprisonment for raping his stepdaughter

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) – A local court has sentenced a 33-year-old man to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping and impregnating his minor stepdaughter in 2019. It said the convict’s illiteracy could not be considered a mitigating circumstance in the “morally reprehensible” incest case.

It was also found that the convict deserved a “harsh punishment” due to the nature of the crime and society’s interest in protecting vulnerable children from horrific experiences.

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Additional Sessions Judge Babita Puniya was hearing the case against the stepfather, who was convicted of rape and aggravated sexual assault by penetration under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act last month.

Special Public Prosecutor Sharawan Kumar Bishnoi called for the “strictest sentence” and said that “a clear and strong message should be sent to society that such horrific acts will not be tolerated.”

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In a ruling issued on May 17, the judge rejected the defense’s argument that the convicted man was illiterate and stated: “I am of the opinion that illiteracy cannot be considered a mitigating circumstance, especially in incest cases. It is not only legally punishable but also morally reprehensible.”

She said the “diabolical nature” of the crime and the fact that the victim was the convict’s stepdaughter and was in his care and protection outweighed the convict’s personal circumstances, including his age.

“The interest of justice demands that the harshest punishment be imposed. The convicted person has failed miserably to demonstrate the existence of substantial and compelling reasons for a lenient attitude,” the court said.

It highlighted the various aggravating factors in the case, including that the victim was an innocent and helpless child who became pregnant and had to undergo an abortion at around the age of 16.

“The convict exploited an innocent and vulnerable girl to satisfy his greed and selfish needs. He repeatedly made the victim the object of his lust and got her pregnant. I have no doubt that this must have been unbearable pain.” “The victim or the child endured it,” the judge said.

“The fact that the crime was committed by a stepfather who was in a position of trust over his innocent, defenseless old daughter compounds the crime,” she added.

The court sentenced the convict to life imprisonment and made it clear that this meant “a prison sentence for the rest of his natural life”.

It states: “The nature of the crime and society’s interest in protecting vulnerable children from horrific experiences justify a harsh punishment.”

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News Feed. LatestLY staff may not have modified or edited the content text.)