THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The POCSO Court in Thiruvananthapuram sentenced a man to rigorous imprisonment for life for sexually abusing his daughter. POCSO district judge M P Shibu delivered the verdict. The man has to serve three terms rigorous imprisonment until his death under various sections. Additionally, a fine of Rs 1.9 lakh has been imposed, out of which Rs 1.5 lakh is to be given to the child. The man is a native of Aruvikkara in the state capital.
The child’s mother had passed away when she was one-and-a-half years old. The father, who is 37 years old, began sexually abusing the child from the time she was in Class I. Unable to bear the abuse, the child eventually informed her class teacher. Following this, the police registered a case and arrested the father.
Since the death of her mother at a young age, the girl had been under her father’s care. With no close relatives on either side, the child endured the cruelty in silence, fearing that her father would harm her if she told anyone.
In 2023, at the age of 15, the girl disclosed the abuse to her class teacher after an incident where her father abused her when she returned home after the English exam. Noticing changes in the girl’s behaviour the following day at school, the teacher questioned her. The girl then disclosed the years of abuse she had endured. Then, the teacher informed the police through Childline, leading to the father’s arrest.
The accused’s second wife had testified in court that she was at home on the day of the English exam and did not witness the assault. However, when the prosecution questioned her about the dates of the other exams, she was unable to answer and this proved that her statement was false.
Since the day the case was reported, the girl has been staying in a juvenile home. Public Prosecutor Kattayikkonam J K Ajith Prasad and Advocate V C Bindu represented the prosecution. A total of 26 witnesses appeared in court during the trial.