Twelve years after the crime, a Chennai court on Friday convicted a 63-year-old man under Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for repeatedly sexually assaulting his relative when she was a child. The incident dates back to December 2015 and occurred inside a three-storey house in Chennai. The girl's family lived on the first floor, while her grandparents stayed upstairs. The convict, her maternal uncle, resided on the ground floor with his family.
After school, the Class V student would come downstairs to play with her cousin. A pet parrot and flowering plants near the entrance kept her there longer. The Vepery police told the court that the convict used those moments to sexually assault the child whenever he found her alone. The girl later testified that every time he held her, she would begin sweating. When she threatened to inform his wife, the accused coerced her by promising to get her whatever she wanted. The abuse continued for months in the building where all branches of the family lived, said special public prosecutor S Anitha.
The family later shifted to another house, but the abuse remained undisclosed for years. By the time the girl reached Class X, she stopped allowing even her mother to touch her. Fear, panic, and anxiety gripped her, causing her to isolate herself. Her mother eventually admitted her to Kilpauk Medical College after doctors diagnosed her with depression. During treatment, the teenager narrated the abuse she had undergone as a child.
Police registered a case and filed the chargesheet before the Pocso court on February 28, 2022. The prosecution examined witnesses, including the survivor and her mother. Prosecutor Anitha argued that the delay in disclosure stemmed from sustained fear and trauma. Judge S Padma, after analyzing witness testimonies and surrounding circumstances, convicted the man on May 15 under Section 10 of the Pocso Act and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment. Additionally, 1,00,000 rupees was ordered as compensation to the child for the mental trauma she underwent.
