15 October,2023 07:20 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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In a Delhi court, a 35-year-old school van driver has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for committing aggravated sexual assault on a 10-year-old girl. According to a PTI report, the court, in its judgment, emphasized that such a sentence is necessary to discourage other "like-minded individuals" within society from engaging in similar offences. It stressed that the gravity of the offence lies not only in the punishment it carries but in the profound impact it has on the collective social conscience and public order.
The case was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Susheel Bala Dagar, involving Anuj, who was convicted under Section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, stated the report.
According to the prosecution, Anuj, the driver of the victim's school van, committed aggravated sexual assault on the child. He also threatened the girl, warning that he would harm her if she revealed the incident to her family members.
ASJ Dagar underlined that there was no justification for leniency towards the convict. Despite having children of his own, he had committed a "disturbing assault" on the child he had been responsible for driving to school for five years.
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Reportedly, the court's order dated October 10, stated, "Taking into account the aggravating and mitigating factors, including the seriousness of the offence, the age of the child victim and the convict, the family circumstances of the convict and the child victim, and the social and economic factors affecting them, Anuj, the convict, is sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for the offence under Section 10 of the POCSO Act."
The court characterised the convict's actions as a "perverse form of pleasure" for him but a traumatic ordeal for the victim, who was alone with the convict in the van at the time of the incident, the report stated.
It criticised abusers who engage in such heinous acts for infringing upon a child's fundamental right to bodily privacy and noted that their actions violate the sanctity of places where children should feel safe from violation.
In this specific case, the minor victim was entrusted to the school van driver, a position of trust and confidence. The court emphasised the urgent necessity for zero tolerance towards crimes against children, reiterating that the gravity of the offence lies not solely in the severity of the punishment but in the profound impact on societal consciousness and public order.
It also stressed that individuals who derive "pleasure" from such actions often fail to comprehend the profound impact on the child. The court concluded that a sentence should be passed to discourage other like-minded individuals from committing such offences, reflecting the need for stringent action, further stated the report.
The victim, who had suffered aggravated sexual assault and both mental and physical trauma, along with humiliation to her and her family members, was awarded compensation of Rs 3 lakh.
