Man ‘with mind of 7-year-old’ gets molester 10-year rigorous imprisonment

MUMBAI: The steadfast deposition by a 21-year-old special needs person, who was sexually assaulted when he was 16 but had the mind of a 7 year-old, ensured his tormentor was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.
The culprit, now 31, had not only abused him, but also left him with cigarette butt burns in 2016. Special Pocso Act court judge Seema Jadhav also fined the accused Rs 6,000. The most challenging fact was the youth had to present his testimony in court through a special needs interpreter, but managed admirably. He also identified the culprit. Raised by his father, the teen was playing by himself outside his house when the accused took him to a public toilet and assaulted him.
Tormentor slapped teen’s father when confronted
The accused in the molestation case lived in the vicinity of the youth. In his statement to the police, the youth’s father, who works as a security guard with a public hospital, said the boy used to go to a special school but had eventually stopped. That day, his son returned home late in the night. When he asked what took him so long, the boy explained how the accused had taken him to a public toilet, sodomised him and forced him to have oral sex. He added that he beat him with a bamboo stick, tied his hands and even inflicted burns. The accused threatened to kill him if he revealed the incident to anyone.
The father confronted the accused, but he too was slapped and threatened.
Months passed, but the boy kept complaining about discomfort in his private parts. When his father finally took him to a doctor in March 2017, old injuries in his private parts which had not been attended to properly were found. The youth told the doctor about the sexual assault.
At this point, the doctor advised a police report. Cops, medical officers, the father and the youth were the seven witnesses who helped special public prosecutor Veena Shelar to pin the accused.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect his privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)