Kerala HC upholds conviction for sexual assault on child under POCSO Act
The Kerala High Court upheld the conviction of an accused for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. Justice A. Badharudeen held that applying mouth to a child's private part constitutes penetrative sexual assault under Section 3(d) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The incident occurred on 26 January 2020 when the accused intoxicated the boy with liquor and ganja at his shop, then subjected him to aggravated sexual assault. The Special Court had convicted him and sentenced him to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of ₹1,00,000 under Section 6 read with Section 5(l) of the POCSO Act, along with additional sentences for related offences.
The High Court's dismissal of the appeal affirms the conviction and establishes judicial precedent on the interpretation of penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act.
