A SPECIAL court this week sentenced a 33-year-old man to 20 years in jail for luring a minor girl, who was his neighbour, by praising her handwriting and then sexually assaulting her.
The incident took place in the eastern suburbs of the city on November 20, 2016, when the eight-year-old victim was playing with other children near her house. Both her parents were out at work. When her mother returned, she found the girl crying. The girl told her mother that when they were playing, the accused, who lived close to their house, and was known to them, took her and another child to his house. He told the victim that her handwriting is good and asked her to write on a blank pen and paper. He then gave the other child some money to buy a snack. While the victim was writing, the accused began sexually assaulting her.
The girl got frightened and asked for water and fled when the accused went to bring water. After she spoke about the assault, her parents caught hold of the accused and informed the police. The court relied on the testimony of the victim and other witnesses.
The accused in his defence had said that the medical evidence showed that there were no injuries but the court said that mere absence of visible injury would not mean that the assault did not take place and there was no reason for the victim to falsely implicate the accused.
Special Judge Aditee U Kadam sentenced the accused to 20 years in jail under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
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