The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court on Thursday (April 27) sentenced clinical psychologist K. Gireesh to rigorous imprisonment for 26 years and imposed a fine of ₹1.40 lakh for sexually abusing a minor patient.
Special Judge Aaj Sudarshan sentenced the convict to imprisonment for seven years each under sections 9(c) (sexual assault by a public servant on a child), 9(k) (sexual assault after taking advantage of a child’s mental or physical disability) and 9(t) (sexual assault by a person who has been previously convicted for another office under the same law), and five years under Section 9(i) (repeated sexual assault on a child) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
While the default of fines would lead to additional imprisonment for four years, the sentences shall run concurrently. The court ruled the entire fine amount should be given to the survivor as compensation.
This is the second time the psychologist, who was an assistant professor in the Health department, has been convicted in a POCSO case. Last year, the same court found him guilty of sexually assaulting another minor patient in his private clinic in 2017. He had obtained bail in that case.
According to the prosecution led by special public prosecutor Vijay Mohan R.S., the 13-year old boy was sexually harassed between December 6, 2015 and February 21, 2017 when he approached him for counselling. While the constant torture deteriorated his mental condition, Gireesh threatened him from divulging his ordeal and also asked him to seek treatment elsewhere.
It was only after two years that the boy recounted his trauma when he was admitted in the Psychiatry department of the Government Medical College Hospital here. He also said he was shown obscene videos by the accused during consultation. The Fort police registered a case after being alerted by the hospital authorities.
The prosecution examined 14 witnesses and 24 documents. Kiran T.R. and A. Anish, who were then sub-inspectors in the Fort police station, had investigated the case.
