Kerala court sentences man to cumulative 19 years in jail for sexual assault of stepdaughter

A Kerala court has sentenced a man to a cumulative of 19 years imprisonment for sexually assaulting his teenage stepdaughter at their home in Chempakappara area of Idukki district in the state.

Idukki Fast Track Special Court judge T G Varghese gave the man varying jail terms, for a total of 19 years, under different provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

However, the convict will serve only five years imprisonment, the highest of the varying jail terms, as the sentence is to be served concurrently, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Shijo Mon Joseph said.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on the stepfather, the prosecutor said.

It also directed the district legal service authority to pay Rs 25,000 for the rehabilitation of the victim, he said.

The incident related to the case took place in Chempakappara under Murickassery police station in Idukki earlier this year, the SPP said.

He said that according to the 13-year-old victim, her stepfather sexually assaulted her twice on two separate days when her mother went to take bath at night.