Sentencing: Child rapist to spend life behind bars

Medical test of the victim confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted

ISLAMABAD: A sessions court on Friday handed down a life sentence to a man convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl*.

Ayaz Ahmed was booked by the Sihala police for allegedly raping the child on May 25, 2012. Imtiaz Ahmed Soomro, the victim’s lawyer, said the girl was returning from school when she was abducted and assaulted by Ahmed in Model Town Humak.

A medical examination of the victim confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted. An identification parade was held at Adiala Jail, during which the victim identified Ahmed as her attacker.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Wajid Ali awarded a life sentence to Ahmed after he was found guilty of the charge. Soomro said the convict, who is 25, had a criminal history as he had also previously been booked in a few theft cases.

He said the medical tests of the victim, conducted soon after the assault, were still awaited despite the passage of three years. “The incriminating evidence against the accused was the initial medical examination report, the victim’s identification of the accused, and the victim’s and her father’s statements,” Soomro said.

The prosecution lawyer said the family came from a poor background and were unable to afford a lawyer to plead their case. Soomro’s services were provided through legal aid from Sahil, an organisation which works to protect children against abuse.

* VICTIM’S NAME WITHHELD TO PROTECT IDENTITY

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2016.