Youth gets 10-year term for attempted sexual abuse of minor

A Pune court sentenced a 20-year-old to 10 years in prison for attempted rape of a 13-year-old, emphasizing the psychological harm of such crimes.

In a major ruling aimed at protecting child rights, the court of Additional Sessions Judge at Vadgaon Maval, Pune, sentenced a 20-year-old man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for the attempted rape of a 13-year-old girl. The judgment was delivered by Judge DK Anbhule on April 1.

The victim reported that a boy from their building had intercepted her. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The case dates back to the evening of November 16, 2023. According to the prosecution, the victim, a Class 7 student, had gone to a nearby water tank to fetch water after dinner. When she failed to return, her parents launched a frantic search, eventually finding her on the staircase of their building in a state of extreme fear. The victim reported that a boy from their building had intercepted her, pressed her mouth to silence her, and dragged her to the terrace where he “committed a forceful act against her.”

The accused Mukesh Kumar Mahesh Mato, a painter originally from Bihar, was charge-sheeted under Section 376(3) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 4 and 8 of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

The court found the testimony of the victim and her mother to be “truthful, cogent, and convincing.” It emphasised the psychological toll of such crimes, quoting: “a rapist not only violates the victim’s privacy and personal integrity, but inevitably causes serious psychological as well as physical harm...”

The final sentence includes 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000. Additionally, the court imposed 5 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹50,000 under Section 7 r/w 8 of the POCSO Act.