Kerala court sentences mother, stepfather, six others in child abuse case

Kozhikode (Kerala), February 23

A fast-track court here on Tuesday sentenced eight of the ten accused, including the victim’s mother and stepfather, in a case of sexually abusing a 13-year old child in nearby Mukkam in 2007.

Pronouncing the verdict, the court held that eight out of the 10 accused in the case were involved in the crime, punishable under IPC Sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 373 (buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc).

While the mother, who is the first accused in the case, was given a sentence of seven years, the stepfather, who is the second accused, and six others were given 10 years of imprisonment.

The seven men involved in the crime have been sentenced for another five years of imprisonment for sexually assaulting and abusing the child.

However, they can undergo the punishment concurrently.

The eighth and tenth accused were set free by the court.

According to the charge-sheet filed by the investigating officer in the case registered by the Mukkam police 14 years ago, the mother consented to abusing the child by the stepfather who later on presented the girl to many for money.

The child had been subjected to sexual exploitation for months with the passive consent of the mother, the investigation had found. — PTI