Justice Served: POCSO Act Court Convicts Principal and Teacher

A POCSO Act court sentenced a former principal and a teacher to five years for sexually abusing students at a school for the hearing and speech impaired. The judgment highlights the gravity of their breach of trust and the lifelong trauma inflicted on the victims.

In a landmark ruling, a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has handed down a five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to a former principal and a teacher. Both individuals were convicted of sexually abusing girl students at a school designed for children with speech and hearing impairments.

These heinous crimes, committed between 2013 and 2014, came to light when several students bravely reported the abuse during a meeting led by a social activist in 2014. The court has identified that the perpetrators exploited the vulnerable conditions of the students who were in their care and custody.

Given the influential positions of the accused, their initial denials were believed by the parents of the victims. However, the court found them guilty of aggravated sexual assault, emphasizing the deep harm caused. Judge Satyanarayan R Navander condemned them for betraying the trust usually bestowed upon educators, whom society often views as 'Godlike figures.'

(With inputs from agencies.)