Archive · 28 Dec 2025
Courts Address Child Abuse Cases Differently
In two different cases, courts in India have made important decisions about crimes against children.
In the first case, a man named Virender was originally sentenced to death for raping and murdering a young girl.
The court later changed his sentence to life in prison.
His mother was acquitted because there is no law to punish her for protecting her son.
The court said that while the mother's actions were wrong, she can't be punished under the current laws.
In the second case, a man was sentenced to 20 years in jail for raping his minor stepdaughter.
The court said that even if the victim changes her story, the guilt of the accused cannot be dismissed if there is scientific evidence.
The court also said that children often feel pressured to protect their abusers, especially if they depend on them for shelter and financial support.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court commuted a man's death sentence to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a five-and-a-half-year-old girl.
The Delhi High Court upheld a 20-year jail term for a man who raped his minor stepdaughter, noting that guilt under the POCSO Act cannot be dismissed if the victim turns hostile, especially with scientific evidence.
The Punjab court acquitted the convict's mother, Kamla Devi, stating there is no Indian Penal Code section to punish her for protecting her son.
The Delhi High Court observed that child victims may retract their testimony due to fear of losing shelter and financial stability, especially when the accused is a caregiver or breadwinner.
Both courts highlighted the vulnerability of child victims and the complexities involved in such cases, with the Punjab court noting that family members often prioritize protecting their sons over seeking justice for victims.
- Who
- Virender alias Bholu (Punjab Case), Man (Delhi Case), Minor victims (both cases)
- What
- Rape and murder of a five-and-a-half-year-old girl (Punjab Case), Rape of a minor stepdaughter (Delhi Case), Legal proceedings and court observations
- When
- Crime committed in May 2018 (Punjab Case), Incident in March 2016 (Delhi Case), Verdicts pronounced in December 2023 (Punjab Case) and unspecified (Delhi Case)
- Where
- Punjab and Haryana High Court (Punjab Case), Delhi High Court (Delhi Case)
- Why
- Virender committed the crime in a panic to destroy evidence of rape (Punjab Case), Delhi High Court upheld the sentence due to scientific evidence and the vulnerability of child victims (Delhi Case)
- Convict (Punjab Case)
- Virender alias Bholu
- Victim (Punjab Case)
- Five-and-a-half-year-old girl
- Original Sentence (Punjab Case)
- Death sentence for Virender, imprisonment for mother Kamla Devi
- New Sentence (Punjab Case)
- Life imprisonment for Virender, acquittal for Kamla Devi
- Fine Amount (Punjab Case)
- Rs 30 lakh
- Case Year (Punjab Case)
- 2018
- Court Observation (Punjab Case)
- No IPC section to punish mother for protecting son
- Convict (Delhi Case)
- Man (name not specified)
- Victim (Delhi Case)
- Minor stepdaughter (less than 12 years old)
- Sentence (Delhi Case)
- 20-year jail term under POCSO Act
- Incident Year (Delhi Case)
- 2016
- Court Observation (Delhi Case)
- Guilt under POCSO Act cannot be dismissed if victim turns hostile, especially with scientific evidence
