HYDERABAD: A brutal stepfather who raped her, a mother who abandoned her and a defence lawyer who challenged her suffering – none of this could break the spirit of an 11-year-old girl. Staying resolute in the face of immense pressure from her own mother, she testified against her stepfather before a Pocso court in Hyderabad, which played a crucial role in the man being awarded a 30-year jail term on Nov 7 – the longest sentence ever pronounced in a Telangana court till date.
The accused was convicted by additional metropolitan sessions judge T Anitha of repeatedly raping the girl and forcing her into unnatural sex. The minor was nine when the assaults began in 2022. Her mother, who had caught her husband red-handed and took her daughter to police, went back to living with the accused when he was out on bail. She not only denied knowledge of the crime, but also decided to force her daughter into retracting the case.
But, the minor stood her ground and told the court during a hearing that “Allah” would punish her if she lied.
