Mumbai: Man sentenced to 10 years in jail for sexually abusing 4-yr-old in school

Mumbai: A 26-year-old man working as a cleaner in a suburban school in Mumbai was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday, for sexually abusing a four-year-old girl.

According to reports, the man was convicted under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The minimum sentence under the section for aggravated penetrative sexual assault is ten years.

The incident took place in 2014, when the child told her mother of pain in her private parts after returning from school. The mother initially thought it was an infection from chlorinated water, as the child was taking swimming classes. But when the pain continued for the second day, her mother inquired with her, said the reports.

The girl described an incident in the school’s washroom, after which her mother rushed her to a doctor. She also lodged a police complaint for sexual abuse leading to the arrest of the accused.

The court examined 10 witnesses including the mother, the child and staff members of the school. Medical reports confirmed external injury to the private parts of the child. The staff members said that the accused had been cleaning toilets in the school and was present on the day of the sexual assault.

The court eventually levied a fine of Rs 25,000 on the accused, and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.