A Delhi court has sentenced a juvenile boy to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a 10-year-old girl. Along with this, the court stated in its order that the juvenile offender cannot be released in the current phase, as he needs rehabilitation. Furthermore, the victim has been awarded a compensation of 1.05 million rupees.
Additional Sessions Judge Sushil Bala Dagar was hearing arguments on the sentencing of the juvenile, who was previously convicted under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, for aggravated sexual assault. He was also found guilty of kidnapping the victim. After hearing both cases, the court delivered its sentence.
According to the prosecution, the offender was 17 years old at the time of the incident. On June 4, 2017, he forcibly took the victim to his home, where he abused her. On Tuesday, after considering both mitigating and aggravating circumstances of the crime, the court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under the POCSO Act.
He was further sentenced to seven years for the crime of kidnapping. The court stated that both sentences would run concurrently. Meanwhile, the court reprimanded the concerned authorities, noting that despite the juvenile's 79-day stay in a reform home, his individual care plan and rehabilitation card were not prepared, and the probation officer failed to act after his bail.
The court said, "This reflects a failure in the Juvenile Justice (JJ) system, and the non-compliance with the legal provisions of the JJ Act and JJ Model Rules. Formal reports have been submitted periodically in the name of ICP and periodic reviews, which hold limited value as they are not part of any rehabilitation process." The court has issued related orders to the Delhi government regarding this issue.
