Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Repeatedly Raping His Minor Daughter

A father has been sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday, April 5, for allegedly repeatedly raping his own minor daughter when she was barely 13 years old from 2020 to 2021 in Mumbai, India.

The 13-year-old victim reportedly lived in a cramped and small room with seven to eight family members, including her grandparents, uncle, father, and two younger siblings. The victim's mother allegedly left them some seven years before the child faced recurring assault at the hand of her own father.

The frequent abuse finally came to light on May 4, 2021, after the girl’s grandmother noticed something suspicious about the victim's menstrual cycle and questioned her about it. The distraught young girl revealed that her father had forced himself on the teen several times in the past year, NDTV reported.

The victim narrated that her father was usual under the influence of alcohol when the recurring abuses transpired. Following this, the grandmother filed a case against the 37-year-old father. He was subsequently arrested and brought before the court to face rape charges. However, the accused has denied the accusations against him.

According to the accused's court-appointed lawyer, the house where the victim and the accused were staying was too small for any person to commit any such crime, without getting noticed by others in the room. The lawyer also claimed that the girl's allegations are false, claiming that the supposed victim was mad at her father for forbidding her from talking and hanging out with her male friends, Hindustan Times reported.

However, the court found no substance in the defense. The suspect has been found guilty and sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

“The victim was subjected to penetrative sexual assault by her own father when she was only 13-year-old. A father lays the foundation of security, trust, and love. A father makes his daughter’s life safe and protects her from hurt. But the victim’s father himself has caused immeasurable pain to her. The childhood trauma is bound to affect the victim,” ruled the court.

“The victim's grandmother needs to be commended for seeking justice even though she will be required to look after the children of the accused at such old age,” it continued.