New Delhi:

A courtroom in Delhi has sentenced a 33-year-old man to rigorous life imprisonment for repeatedly raping and impregnating his minor stepdaughter in 2019, saying within the “morally repugnant” incest case, the convict’s illiteracy can’t be thought-about a mitigating issue.

It additionally noticed that the convict deserved a “extreme sentence” due to the character of the crime and society’s curiosity in defending susceptible youngsters from horrendous experiences.

Extra Periods Decide Babita Puniya was listening to the case in opposition to the stepfather who was convicted of the penal provision of rape and aggravated penetrative sexual assault underneath the Safety of Kids from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act final month.

Particular Public Prosecutor Sharawan Kumar Bishnoi sought the “strictest sentence”, saying that “a transparent and powerful message ought to be despatched to the society that such horrendous acts is not going to be countenanced”.

In an order handed on Could 17, the decide rejected the argument of the defence counsel in regards to the convict being illiterate and mentioned, “I’m of the view that illiteracy can’t be thought-about as a mitigating issue, notably in incest instances. It’s not solely legally punishable however is morally repugnant additionally.” She mentioned the “diabolical nature” of the crime and the truth that the sufferer was the stepdaughter of the convict and was in his care and safety outweighed the non-public circumstances of the convict, together with his age.

“The curiosity of justice calls for that the severest punishment have to be imposed. The convict has failed dismally to indicate the existence of considerable and compelling causes for taking a lenient view,” the courtroom mentioned.

It underlined the varied aggravating components within the case, together with the sufferer being an harmless and helpless baby who grew to become pregnant and needed to bear an abortion at round 16 years of age.

“The convict has preyed upon an harmless and susceptible lady baby to quench his covetousness and egocentric wants. He repeatedly made the sufferer object of his lust and made her pregnant. I’ve little doubt in my thoughts that this should have been an excruciating ache that the sufferer or baby endured,” the decide mentioned.

“The truth that the offence was dedicated by a stepfather, who was able of belief, in opposition to his harmless, defenceless previous lady baby is aggravating the offence,” she added.

Sentencing the convict to rigorous imprisonment for all times, the courtroom clarified that it meant “imprisonment for the rest of his pure life”.

It noticed, “The character of the crime and society’s curiosity in defending susceptible youngsters from horrendous experiences warrants a extreme sentence.” 

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