Teenager sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping two minors

A local court has sentenced a teenager to 20 years in prison for raping two minors aged five and six in 2017. The court stressed that the victims had suffered severe trauma that would likely haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Counsel for the child, Amit Sahrawat, presided over the case involving the child in conflict with the law. The child was found guilty of rape and aggravated sexual assault with penetration. A juvenile court had earlier ruled that the offender, who is over 16 years old, should be tried as an adult.

Special Public Prosecutor Vineet Dahiya described the offence as heinous. The court took into account mitigating circumstances such as the fact that the youth hailed from a poor society, but ruled that the rape of each victim was a separate crime. The court sentenced the convict to 10 years imprisonment for each offence and awarded each victim Rs 10.5 lakh as compensation.

(With contributions from agencies.)