A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), while sentencing a 20-year-old to 10 years for raping his 13-year-old friends, said that having a friend with the opposite sex does not mean that she (or he) is available for lust or sexual desire.
While sentencing the 10-year jail, the court said that the boy has caused devastation in the girl’s life and had dented her life at a very young age. The court also said that the foundation of future progress lies in the early days of youth.
According to the report by TOI, the special judge hearing the case, Priti Kumar Ghule said, “the sentence of the accused will send a message to the youth of today, who are in the age group of (the) accused, that uncontrollable desire for satisfaction of lust can spoil their future, career and golden period of progress.”
The court further ordered, “In (the) present case, the future of the accused, as well as the survivor, has come in the shadow of darkness due to the offence committed by the accused.”
The court went on to say that the minor survivor will get compensation under District Legal Services Authority schemes. Furthermore, the minor's marriage will face difficulties as a result of the convict's actions, as her engagement has already been broken.
Court also said that as the accused has understood the consequence of his act therefore it is not necessary to give him the maximum punishment.