An 81-year-old woman and her 87-year-old husband have been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for sexually assaulting their 4-year-old neighbour in Maharashtra.
The special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences court has convicted the couple, relying on the testimonies of the child and her mother. Judge Rekha N Pandhare observed that the accused being of her grandparents’ age were supposed to take care of the victim. The judge has also ordered the accused to pay Rs 50,000 each to the child as compensation within a month.
The couple, out on bail, was sentenced under Section 6 of POCSO Act, which punishes for offence of aggravated penetrative sexual assault. In the trial by special public prosecuters Veena Shelar and Geeta Nayyar, seven witnesses were deposed. The victim was 8 at the time of deposition.
The case has probably been the first where a woman has been found guilty for such a crime under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso)Act.
The incident took place on September 4, 2013. In her statement to the police, the victim on that day went to the 4th floor of her building at noon after returning from the school. She went to play with her friend, she said as her friend was sleeping, while returning the accused called on her.
The victim used to call her Dada Dadi. When she went towards the man, he carried her and took her inside their house. She was made to sit on a swing, and as she tried to leave, the man slapped her. The girl alleged that the man forcibly undressed her, while the woman held her.
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The man sexually assaulted her, after that woman also repeated the act. When the child tried to run, the man spat on her face. However, later she managed to dress up and return home.
The child’s mother had reportedly said that after her daughter returned, she finished her chores that day around 10 pm. She then went to put the girl to bed, it was then when she opened up about the whole incident.
The mother immediately checked the girl’s private parts and found inflammation. Later, her mother informed her husband and together went to the police station to lodge a complaint. The elderly couple was held the next day under the POCSO Act.