Man sentenced to 10 years for raping teenager

KARACHI:

A district and sessions court sentenced on Wednesday a man to 10 years in prison after convicting him of raping a teenage girl some two years ago.

Jaffar was found guilty of sexually assault the 14-year-old girl who lived in his neighbourhood. The incident was reported on September 12, 2013, when the survivor complained that the man raped her at his house.





She reported that Jaffar’s sister, Rihana, whom she was friends with, called her over that night. When the survivor went there she only found Jaffar, who raped her. The suspect was taken into custody soon after a complaint was filed with the police. His sister was also nominated in the case for allegedly abetting the crime. The court heard at least seven witnesses named in the case, including the survivor, her mother, her doctor who examined her and others. The suspect pleaded innocence, though the medical report confirmed the sexual act.

The girl maintained her statement against the suspect in the trial court as of her statement under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a judicial magistrate. The ‘164 statement’ is recorded before the commencement of the trial and later becomes a crucial part of the case.



The trial continued for around two years, during which the suspect applied for bail twice, once before the trial court and then before the appellate court, which was rejected both times.

After scrutinising the evidence, the East district’s judge, Inamullah Kalhoro, sentenced the suspect to 10 years in prison and observed that the prosecution proved its case ‘beyond any shadow of doubt’.

The convict was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs25,000 or else face an additional imprisonment of two months. However, the judge exonerated the co-accused, Rihana, due to lack of evidences against her.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th,  2015.