Man sentenced to life for raping 7-year-old in Mumbai

A special court in Mumbai has sentenced a 51-year-old man to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping a 7-year-old girl in 2015. The court emphasized that such serious offenses should be met with severe penalties to deter similar crimes in the future. The case came to light when the girl signaled to her mother that she wanted to hit the accused. This led her mother to confront her, resulting in the girl disclosing the abuse she had suffered over a month’s time. She revealed that the man had assaulted her seven times and threatened her to keep quiet. The girl’s mother reported the situation to a social worker, who helped inform the police. The judge stressed the long-lasting trauma that the victim would endure and noted her need for rehabilitation, given her situation as a child from a disadvantaged background. The accused claimed that the girl’s family made false accusations against him due to personal disputes, but the judge dismissed this defense, finding no evidence to support it. The prosecution presented clear evidence of the girl’s repeated assaults by the neighbor, leading to the judge’s verdict. The judge has also directed that a copy of the judgment be sent to the District Legal Services Authority in Mumbai to ensure the victim receives appropriate compensation for her suffering.