HYDERABAD: A brutal stepfather who raped her, a mother who abandoned her and a defense lawyer who challenged her suffering… none of this could break a little girl’s spirit 11 year old, made of steelier material than most children his age. . On November 7, the girl’s testimony before a court in Pocso played a crucial role in sending her father-in-law to jail for 30 years, the longest sentence ever handed down by a court in Telangana till here.

The accused was found guilty by 12th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge T Anitha of repeatedly raping the girl and even forcing her to have unnatural sex.
Lawyers and police officers TOI spoke to were impressed by her determination as she fought a legal battle without hesitation for two years. Especially since her mother, who had first caught the husband in the act and taken her daughter to the police, decided to force her to retract. The girl not only presented a strong case against the convict but also started excelling in her academic studies at a private school where she is currently studying in Class IV.
The girl was 9 years old when the attacks began in 2022. Despite the brutality, the mother not only returned to live with the accused (while he was out on bail), but also denied any knowledge of the affair. But the minor stood her ground and told the court during a hearing that “Allah” would punish her if she lied.
It was this faith and her consistent accounts of torture – even though she took the stand alone while her mother accompanied the accused throughout the trial and even on the day of sentencing – that convinced the court to convict the ‘man.
Despite the many challenges encountered in her fight for justice, a Rape survivor, aged 11 stood firm in recounting the abuse she faced at the hands of her stepfather. Throughout the trial, the girl, who is currently under the care of Telangana Police’s Bharosa Care Center in Hyderabad, had to undergo rigorous cross-examination.
The convict, who had previously worked as a taxi driver, claimed that the survivor had falsely implicated him at the request of his mother, so that he would marry her. The court, however, supported the survivor in saying that if that was the case, her mother could not have become hostile. “She (the mother) is not supporting the case. So she had no influence on the survivor,” the court observed.
Even if she had given false testimony against the convict, given her young age, it would not have been difficult to extract the truth during her cross-examination, but her testimony is unwavering, appears trustworthy and can give rise to action, the court ruled.
The convict also claimed that they stayed in a room in a densely populated area of ​​Hyderabad and in the adjacent room another family resided. According to him, it was difficult to rape a girl in such a situation. But the court found that the rape was committed in a secret manner and even if committed in a densely populated area, it would occur in a secluded place within four walls.
The convict claimed that the survivor, through her mother, filed a false complaint to obtain a share of the property, but the court found that there was no evidence to prove that this statement was false.
Police officials said that after the FIR was registered and the girl was shifted to the Bharosa centre, it took her more than three days to become coherent and narrate her ordeal. During this time, the mother began making multiple attempts to gain custody of the girl and return her home, even as she returned to live with the convict. The attempts were foiled by the police, who stood by the girl. Attempts to persuade the survivor to retract her statements were also successfully foiled by police.
The identity of the victim has not been revealed to protect her privacy, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines in cases related to sexual assault.