The North Goa Special POCSO Court has sentenced a 40-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting and raping his minor daughter. According to the prosecution, the incident occurred in July 2024 at the family’s rented residence in North Goa.
The 16-year-old victim resided in a single room along with her parents and two elder brothers. In the early hours of 26 July, 2024, the accused forcibly assaulted and had sexual intercourse with the victim while she was sleeping on the floor. Later that morning, after being reprimanded by the accused, the girl arrived at her higher secondary school in distress. She confided in a classmate, who then brought the matter to the attention of her class teacher.
The school management and teachers alerted the authorities, leading to the involvement of the Pink Force and the registration of an FIR by the teacher on the same day.
During the trial, the defense argued that the victim had falsely implicated her father after being reprimanded and pointed out alleged investigative lapses, including the lack of support from her mother and brother.
Rejecting the defense's contentions, the Court observed that the victim's testimony was consistent, credible, and corroborated by forensic evidence—notably the detection of semen on the bubble wrap sheet used for sleeping at the scene of the offense. The court also noted that the hostile posture of the family members confirmed the victim's initial fear that her family would not believe her.
Emphasizing that crimes of this nature shock the conscience of society, the Court handed down 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to the convict.
