KOCHI: The Ernakulum Additional District and Sessions Court (for trial of cases relating to atrocities and sexual violence against women and children) on Friday awarded life imprisonment to an Ayyampuzha-native for sexually abusing a four-year-old girl.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on Prakashan, 52. Raising concern over the increasing incidence of sexual assault against minors, the court said the accused did not deserve any leniency. He was also awarded seven years’ imprisonment under various Sections of the POCSO Act.
Prosecutor B Sandhya Rani submitted that Prakashan, who raped the girl in April 2015, deserved maximum punishment.
The incident occurred after the girl’s mother left the child with a neighbour, before going to the plantation where she worked. Though the child informed the matter to its parents soon after the incident, she could not identify the accused initially. Later, she identified the accused at a function.
The prosecution said a witness had seen the accused taking the child from the place where she was playing on the day.
The court also asked the victim’s mother to move the Kerala State Legal Services Authority to have the compensation increased.
The case was investigated by the Ayyampuzha Police. The court examined statements of 13 witnesses, including the victim.