Kozhikoda (Kerala): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a 43-year-old woman to 20 years’ imprisonment for abetting the rape of her minor stepdaughter in 2021 at their home and another place, the perpetrator’s residence near Valayam here.
The Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) also sentenced a 44-year-old man — who repeatedly raped the class seven student — to a cumulative punishment of 40 years, and the child’s 44-year-old father to six months’ imprisonment for not reporting the crime under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
FTSC (POCSO) Judge Suhaib M sentenced the main accused, Anil, to varying durations of punishments for separate offences under the POCSO Act for a total of 40 years, Public Prosecutor Manoj Aroor said.
During this period the woman, who had left behind her mentally-challenged husband, began living with Sisupalan along with her daughter. The girl was subjected to rape during this period.
The girl sustained injuries in her private parts and confided to her mother about her ordeal. However, the mother told her not to tell anybody about the incident and allowed her lover to exploit the girl.
The incident came to light when the girl’s elder sister came to know about this. The 11-year-old sister herself was sexually abused by Sisupalan and after knowing that her younger sibling too was subjected to the vile act, she informed the matter to her grandmother.
Despite the intervention of the grandmother, the woman refused to mend her ways and later began living with another man after ditching Sisupalan. That person too sexually abused the child and the case pertaining to that is under trial. Sisupalan, meanwhile, took his own life.
The grandmother later moved both the girls to a Children’s Home. It was during a counselling session there the girls revealed their sordid experiences.
For Special Public Prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan, this was the 50th successful Pocso case where the accused was punished. He along with R Y Akhilesh presented the prosecution. They produced 22 witnesses and 33 documents before the court.
The court in its order said due to the vile act of the mother, the victim had lost her precious childhood. The court said the woman was an abomination for motherhood and deserved a strong punishment.
