CRUX:
Mookan @ Murugan v. State- 2021- The Madras High Court is concerned about the growing number of cases of child sexual assault.
JUDGE:
Hon'ble Mr. Justice K Murali Shankar
PARTIES:
Mookan @ Murugan (Petitioner)
State(Respondent)
SUMMARY:
The Court looked at the appellant's conviction and sentence. The victim was 11 years old at the time of the assault, according to the prosecution. The Madras High Court has voiced its displeasure with the increasing number of incidents of children being sexually abused by someone they know.
Background Facts
- The Court made the comments while upholding a man's conviction and sentence for raping his 11-year-old cousin.
- Female children's rights are always under jeopardy, according to Justice K Murali Shankar. He went on to say that such heinous deeds have a profound effect on the minds of the children who are victims. He went on to say that such heinous deeds have a profound effect on the minds of the children who are victims.
- The court proceeded to confirm the suspect's 10-year hard imprisonment term handed down by a Pudukottai court, citing his "most despicable and shameful behaviour" throughout the case. In this case, the appellant was convicted in 2016 under Section 376(2)(f) of the IPC (rape of children under the age of 12).
- The appellant's conviction in the matter by the trial court was contested in court. The Court dismissed it, finding that the regulatory infraction had been thoroughly tested by medical evidence.
High Court’s Order and Observation
The Court then proceeded to investigate the appellant's conviction and punishment. The prosecution has also well-proven that the victim was 11 years old at the time of the assault, according to Justice Ravi Shankar. Despite strict rules, the Madras court recently expressed its dismay at the rising number of cases of children being sexually abused by someone they know.
“The right of the female child is constantly in jeopardy,” the court stated. Despite the harsh rules and penalties, the rise in the number of incidents of children being sexually abused by known people is alarming and frightening. Such heinous deeds leave a lasting impression on a child's psyche, traumatising her for a long time, if not her entire life, and hurting her physically as well as psychologically.”
Conclusion
Treatment for victims and criminal justice-oriented treatments for perpetrators have dominated resources for child sexual abuse. While these efforts are critical after a child has been sexually abused, there has been minimal investment in primary prevention, or preventing child sexual abuse before it happens. There are only a few effective evidence-based ways for proactively safeguarding children from sexual assault. To guarantee that all children have secure, stable, caring relationships and environments, more resources are needed to develop, assess, and implement evidence-based child sexual abuse primary prevention interventions.
