New Delhi: A Delhi court has sentenced a man to three years and one month in jail for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and awarded the survivor Rs 1.5 lakh compensation.Additional sessions judge Neeti Suri Mishra observed that sexual assault has a deep impact on a child’s physical, mental and psychological well-being, adversely affecting confidence and overall development.According to special public prosecutor Yogita Kaushik, the incident occurred on June 9, 2019, when the girl was returning from a grocery shop after buying milk. The convict, Pintu, allegedly stopped her, grabbed her hand and squeezed her private part, causing pain and prompting her to raise an alarm.The court found the survivor’s testimony “reliable, consistent and trustworthy”, noting that it matched both her complaint and statement recorded before a magistrate. School records showed she was 15 years, 11 months and 12 days old at the time, bringing the case within the ambit of Pocso Act.Rejecting the defence’s objections over discrepancies such as variations in the description of the survivor’s clothes, the court termed them “trivial in nature” and held that they did not affect the prosecution’s case or the survivor’s credibility.The court also noted that the survivor disclosed the incident to her family immediately and that their testimonies corroborated her account. A Victim Impact Assessment Report recorded that she felt “extremely insecure” following the assault.Observing that such offences also affect victims’ families, who may face humiliation and harassment, the court awarded the survivor Rs 1.5 lakh compensation under Delhi Victims Compensation Scheme, 2018.
