A 15-year-old Indian girl has single handedly fought for justice against her father who repeatedly raped her.
The young survivor, living in Old City, bravely walked into the police station two years ago and filed a report against her father for his wrongful actions.
Despite being only 13 at the time, she stood her ground and spoke the truth.
Unfortunately, her family did not support her through this difficult time.
Recently, a city court convicted her father under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sentenced him to life in prison.
The court also awarded the girl compensation.
According to lawyers and police, the survivor, the only girl in the family, showed incredible courage while facing intense questioning during cross-examination by the defense counsel.
The brave survivor, despite facing sexual assault and betrayal from her family, stood strong in court.
She recounted the disturbing details of her father’s actions and the lack of support from her family.
The station house officer of Hussaini Alam, S Surender, mentioned that the girl sought help at a Bharosa center after narrating her ordeal at the police station in May 2022.
Following the case against her father, she has been residing in a state welfare committee-run home.
During the trial, the accused and his family insisted that the girl’s complaint was false, attributing it to a trivial issue.
“Given her tender age, she cannot create such a false story of sexual assault against her own father unless some incident happened to her”, the court said in its verdict.
They also claimed she wasn’t home during the alleged incident and that he was in Odisha.
However, the court highlighted the lack of evidence supporting his travel claims
“He has not adduced any cogent or credible evidence to prove that he was not in Hyderabad on the date of the offense and also that he did not commit offense”, observed the court.
During the cross examination, the defence counsel suggested the complaint was influenced by the police, but the girl confidently recalled the police station’s location, as shown to her by her mother.
Despite facing intense pressure, the girl confirmed the statement she provided to the police two years ago, even as her father made several attempts to deter her from reaffirming her initial account during the cross-examination.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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