PANAJI: In a firm stance on crimes against minors, the High Court has upheld the conviction and a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence for an 83-year-old resident of Aldona. The elderly man was convicted for the sexual assault of a minor girl. This ruling reaffirms the judicial system’s commitment to delivering justice for young victims of sexual abuse, regardless of the perpetrator’s demographic profile.
The recent High Court decision comes after the dismissal of a criminal appeal filed by the accused. The appeal sought to challenge a previous ruling handed down in 2018 by the Panaji Children’s Court, which had initially found the man guilty and determined the decade-long sentence of rigorous imprisonment. By rejecting the appeal, the higher court ensured that the original judgment and the severity of the punishment remain fully intact.
During the proceedings, the High Court explicitly rejected the notion that the convict’s advanced age should warrant leniency. The court observed that the 83-year-old appellant’s age could not be treated as a mitigating factor in such a severe crime. In its decisive statement, the High Court emphasized that it “cannot turn a blind eye to the age of the victim and the ordeal she has endured,” prioritizing the trauma experienced by the minor over the elderly status of the offender.
