JK: Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping minor in 2016

A trial court in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara on Wednesday sentenced a man to 10 years in jail for raping a 13-year-old girl in 2016.

Additional court judge Handwara Umi Kulsoom found 26-year-old Showkat Ahmad Seer guilty and fined him Rs 50,000.

When sentencing the criminal, the judge pointed out that the criminal, who was only 18 years old at the time of the crime, had shattered the girl’s dignity and that she must bear the burden of the criminal’s actions throughout her life.

“The physical scars may have healed, but the mental/emotional scars will always remain. When a woman is raped, it’s not just the physical damage that is suffered, but a deep, enduring sense of shame. Child sexual abuse is a serious, heinous crime against society and humanity.”

The court, while rejecting the defence’s request for leniency, said, “To show leniency in cases of child sexual abuse would be a travesty of justice. The socio-economic status of the offender in child sexual abuse cases is not a relevant consideration in imposing sentence.”

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)