MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently urged the state to bring stricter laws and punishment to curtail sexual offences against children by family members or close friends.
The government should also conduct awareness programmes on television, at theatres and schools and provide funds to open homes for minor children to protect them from sexual offences, a bench comprising Justices GR Swaminathan and R Poornima said.
Child welfare panels must periodically visit hostels, schools and other places to check if any child is being sexually harassed, the bench added.
The judges made the comments while dismissing an appeal filed by a convict against his life sentence by the Pudukkottai Mahila Court for sexually assaulting and impregnating his minor stepdaughter.
A perusal of the order revealed that the victim lost her biological father when she was four months old. After her mother’s remarriage with the convict, she was residing with her maternal grandparents. However, when she turned 13, the convict forced his wife to bring the victim to live with them.
Thereafter, he sexually assaulted the victim on two occasions and threatened to kill the entire family if she revealed the assault to her mother. The crime came to light when the girl fell sick and was found to be six months pregnant.
Even then, the victim’s mother sent her back to her grandparents’ house fearing stigma. But the convict threatened to kill her and their three children if she failed to bring the victim back to their house. Following this, the victim’s mother lodged a complaint.
Citing the delay in lodging a complaint, the convict challenged his conviction. He also pointed to the failure in conducting a DNA test.
But, the bench dismissed his appeal, pointing out that in Posco cases, such reasons are not fatal to the prosecution’s case as long as the victim’s testimony inspires confidence. The judges expressed concern over the trauma of the girl and other Posco victims in general.
In most cases, the perpetrators are either family members or persons known to the victims and many cases go unreported due to stigma and the child’s future, the judges noted.