The Court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in Pathanamthitta on Saturday sentenced a 27-year-old man to 77 years of rigorous imprisonment for abusing a fourteen-year-old girl.
Pronouncing the sentence, Judge Jayakumar John also imposed a fine of ₹3 lakh on the convict, identified as Sunil, a native of Elakolloor, near Pathanamthitta. The convict shall serve an additional term of 1.5 years in prison in case of defaulting in the fine amount.
As per the prosecution case, the abuse took place in 2019 when the convict preyed upon the girl, an eighth standard student student, by threatening her and using force. The abuse came to light when the victim revealed the incident to one of her relatives last year.
Following this, the Woman police station in Pathanamthitta booked a case and arrested the accused.
During the trial, the court found the accused guilty under provisions of the POCSO Act as well as the Indian Penal Code. Principal special public prosecutor Jaison Mathews appeared for the prosecution.
