Delhi court gives man 20-year term for assaulting 12-year-old cousin

A Delhi court has sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault of his 12-year-old cousin, rejecting his plea for a lighter sentence.

The offence took place in 2013, when the child was alone at home while her siblings were outside and her parents were away. The convict, identified as Ajay, was 25 at the time and is now 42.

Judge Niti Suri Mishra described the conduct as heinous and said children can face enduring psychological distress, including low self-esteem, after such crimes. The court said the impact extends to families as well, through trauma and social stigma.

The defence cited the convict’s three children and elderly parents as dependants, but the court held that these circumstances could not outweigh the harm caused to the survivor.

The judge also directed the Delhi Legal Services Authority’s north-west unit to provide Rs 15 lakh in compensation to the survivor.