Sex offender: Court sentences man to 12 years in prison for raping his underage niece | News from Delhi

New Delhi: A Delhi court has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for abducting and repeatedly raping his minor niece in January 2017. He was also directed to pay compensation of Rs 105,000 to the survivor, who is now 24 and married. It wondered who will protect the children if there is an abuser in the family. Sub-division judge Susheel Bala Dagar said in an order on June 5, “Home is considered the safest place in the world for children. The people in a common household are considered the most trustworthy people. But with the increase in crimes against women, crimes against children in the form of incestuous rape have also come to light. Children are victims of sexual offences by family members, relatives, teachers, acquaintances, etc. Though innocent for their age, both boys and girls are abused.” The court also sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment each for the offences under Sections 366 and 363 of the Indian Penal Code. The sentences will be served concurrently, it said. The court was hearing a case against the man convicted under the penal provisions for rape, kidnapping and Section 6 (aggravated sexual abuse by penetration) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. It observed that the man committed aggravated sexual abuse by penetration on the minor after abducting her and luring her for illicit sexual intercourse despite knowing full well that he had a wife and could not marry the girl, who was around 17 years old in 2017. “Today’s children are the future of society. The interests of the vulnerable child need to be protected for a healthy, developed and vibrant society. The psychological scars of childhood sexual abuse are indelible and haunt the individual forever, thus hampering his proper physical and psychological development,” the court further stated. “In a patriarchal society like our country, everyone is quick to blame the victim child who is involved in such an incident of sexual abuse through penetration and seduction by the perpetrator for illicit sexual intercourse. Rather, the convict as a family member bears the sole blame for the heinous crime committed against the child to which the victim had fallen victim,” it further stated. The court observed that the claim that children are safest with family and known persons has been proved to be a myth due to persons like the convict. It stated that it is “the responsibility of the society as a whole to take care of its children and protect them from physical and psychological exploitation by the sexual offenders.” The prosecution was additionally represented by Public Prosecutor Yogita Kaushik Dahiya.