In a landmark verdict, a Kerala court sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the heinous sexual assault and torture of a four-year-old girl, underscoring the state's commitment to protecting children and prosecuting child abuse cases under the POCSO Act.
Key Points
- A man in Kollam, Kerala, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting and torturing a four-year-old girl.
- The Punalur Fast Track Court sentenced Kalaivanan Kamaraj under the POCSO Act, imposing a Rs 5 lakh fine.
- The accused inflicted burn injuries and sexually assaulted the child between May and June 2023.
- The abuse was discovered by a public health nurse who reported the injuries to Childline authorities.
- The court noted the repeated abuse and the accused's manipulation of the child's mother under the guise of 'deliverance' from an evil spirit.
A court here has sentenced a man to imprisonment until death for torturing and sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl.
Punalur Fast Track Court (POCSO Act Cases) Special Judge Aravind B Edayodi on Friday awarded the sentence and a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Kalaivanan Kamaraj, a native of Nagapattinam currently residing in Kacheri here.
The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
The accused was also sentenced to jail terms under various sections of the IPC and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, with all substantive sentences to run concurrently.
Details of the Abuse
The prosecution's case is that the victim was residing with her mother and the accused in a rented house. Between May 12 and June 15, 2023, the accused attacked the child, causing burn injuries to her chest and legs with burning cigarette butts, and sexually assaulted her, according to the prosecution's case.
The incident came to light when a Junior Public Health nurse from an Urban Primary Health Centre visited the family, noticed the victim's injuries, and informed Childline authorities. The child and her sister were subsequently shifted to a Child Care Institution, and Kollam West Police arrested the accused following a preliminary probe.
Court Observations
The court observed that the victim was below five years old at the time of the offence and that the accused had repeatedly inflicted physical harm.
The court further noted that the accused manipulated the mother by claiming a spirit would enter her, harassing the victim under the guise of "deliverance" from an evil spirit.
"There was a long repeated abuse which shocks the judicial conscience," the court said.
The trial included the examination of 24 witnesses and 27 documents.
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