Court sends man to 7 years in jail for raping minor girlfriend

A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Delhi court for raping his 14-year-old girlfriend, who delivered his baby recently.
Additional Sessions Judge P K Jain awarded the jail term to Delhi resident Wasim after refusing to take a lenient view saying she had become a mother at a young age after last year's incident.
The court had convicted Wasim despite the two testifying that they had consensual sex, saying as the victim was below 16 years of age "her consent is not relevant".
"Considering the ill effects of rape and the fact that in the instant case victim became pregnant and additional public prosecutor pointed out that she has delivered a female child recently, I do not find any reason to take a lenient view...

"I hereby sentence convict Wasim to rigorous imprisonment for seven years and fine of Rs 10,000 for offence punishable under section 376 (rape) of the IPC," the judge said.
The court also observed that rape is a crime which causes short as well long term harm, including "depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, poor self-esteem, dissociative and anxiety disorders", in victims.

The judge convicted Wasim for raping the girl, though he as well as the girl had told the court they had consensual sex, as she was below 16 years of age.
"If sexual intercourse is performed with a girl below 16 years of age, her consent is not relevant," the court said.

According to the prosecution, initially a case of missing person was registered by the girl's father on March 27, 2012 after he found that his daughter was not at home since the wee hours of the morning that day.
He had later raised suspicion that Wasim had kidnapped his daughter and a case of kidnapping was registered against the accused, it said.
The girl had then appeared before the police on her own and recorded her statement in which she said that she had of her volition left her home with Wasim and that they both went to Haridwar where they developed physical relations.

Wasim had subsequently surrendered before a court on May 25, 2012 and thereafter charges of rape were invoked against him.