In a decisive ruling, the Allahabad High Court has underscored the gravity of child sexual abuse by rejecting a plea to quash a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on a settlement between families.
The court emphasized that the seriousness of such crimes outweighs any compromise or mutual agreement.
The case in question involves repeated sexual abuse by the accused, Ram Bihari, who has previously bee implicated in similar offenses.
Justice Vinod Diwakar, presiding over the matter, noted that the accused’s pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear risk to children, making it inappropriate to grant relief based on a compromise.
This case stands in contrast to earlier decisions by a different bench of the High Court, which had accepted compromises in two other POCSO cases involving the same accused.
Justice Diwakar noted that the earlier rulings failed to consider the ongoing nature of the abuse, as documented in the current case.
The court’s scrutiny revealed that the victim, who was just 13 years old at the time of the abuse, had endured severe trauma, including unnatural sex, and had only come forward with a complaint after three years.
The accused recorded the abuse on his mobile phone, which further compounded the severity of the crime.
The High Court criticized the notion of resolving such grave offenses through settlement, stating that sexual offenses against children are among the most heinous and have profound, long-lasting psychological effects.
The court highlighted the extensive emotional and social damage inflicted on the victim, which can persist into adulthood.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that sexual abuse cases must be addressed with the utmost seriousness to prevent further exploitation and protect the integrity of the legal process.
