Man Sentenced to Triple Life Term for Raping Minor Daughter

On Wednesday, a man was sentenced to serve a triple life term for raping and impregnating his minor daughter in 2013, by a Mahila Court in Tiruchirapalli.

Kamaraj, 48, of Melavilankulam near Arasangudi raped his 14-year-old daughter when she was alone in the house in 2013, according to Public Prosecutor, Krishnaveni Thamaraiselvan. He continued to rape her several times after the incident and even threatened to kill her if she disclosed the heinous incident to anyone.

When the minor’s mother, Palaniammal found out that she was pregnant, the offence came to light. Subsequently, she gave birth to a baby girl in a hospital in Dindigul. A case was filed by the Tiruverumbur All Women Police based on a complaint by Palaniammal.

Kamaraj was found guilty and was awarded a three-life term by the District Judge, Mahila Court, Jacintha Martin. He was booked under three sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Moreover, the judge sentenced Kamaraj to one year Rigorous Imprisonment under Section 506(1) of IPC. In addition to that, she also ordered him to undergo the sentences consecutively.

Child Sexual Abuse is a serious issue in our country. Moreover, in a patriarchal society like ours makes it difficult for the children or the mothers to report them It has often been seen that the perpetrator in most cases is someone very close to the family. A survey conducted by humanitarian aid organization World Vision India has revealed that one in every two children is a victim of child sexual abuse, HindustanTimes reported.

The survey covered 45,000 children in the age group of  12-18 from across 27 states. It revealed that one in every five children do not feel safe because of the fear of being sexually abused. One in every four families do not come forward to report child abuse.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (2005) Personal Safety Survey, of all those who reported being victimised sexually before the age of 15 years, only 11.1 percent were victimised by a stranger.

In a first, the Madhya Pradesh state assembly passed a bill that awards death penalty for those guilty of raping girls aged twelve and under. Whether capital punishment is justified or not is a topic of continuing debate but our country needs stricter laws which assure safety to children.

Also Read: Teen’s Rapist Gets Life Term; Rs 10 Lakh Compensation For Survivor

Heena Mangani is an intern with SheThePeople.TV