Overview

• A Sheopur court sentenced a stepfather to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter, imposing a ₹60,000 fine and ordering ₹3 lakh in survivor compensation.
• In Gwalior, a 17-year-old accused her stepfather of sexual assault; police arrested the accused after the mother lodged a complaint.
• A Mumbai POCSO court sentenced a father to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter from 2017 to 2020, though the girl’s maternal aunt was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
• The Sheopur case was uncovered after the victim's pregnancy was detected during a medical examination, prompting her mother to report the abuse.
• These cases highlight the judiciary's increasing reliance on the POCSO Act to impose severe penalties, mandate financial reparations, and address the underreporting of familial sexual abuse.