The Ernakulam Additional District and Sessions Court for the trial of cases relating to atrocities and sexual violence against women and children on Monday sentenced a man accused of sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl to eight years’ rigorous imprisonment and slapped him with a fine of ₹20,000.
The convict was identified as Benny Yohannan, 58, of Kadavoor village. Additional District and Sessions Judge K. Soman found the accused guilty under Sections 7 (sexual assault) and 11 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sentenced him to five years and three years respectively. The sentence will run concurrently.
The verdict pertains to a case registered by the Pothanikkad police on March 27, 2018. The convict was engaged by parents for the conveyance of their children to and from the school. On the fateful day, the victim was the last person in the cab, taking advantage of which the convict sexually assaulted her, the police found.
Though the convict pleaded leniency citing that he was a heart patient and had been engaged in the transportation of children for 15 years, the judge found that his case was not fit for invoking the provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act, as he had misused the custody of the victim entrusted to him by her parents.
