In a distressing case from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, a woman has been handed a 40-year rigorous imprisonment term and fined Rs 20,000 for facilitating the abuse of her two minor daughters by her live-in partners. The special fast-track court, applying the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), delivered the verdict.
The appalling incidents occurred between March 2018 and September 2019. The accused, who had separated from her mentally ill husband, cohabited with her partner Shishupalan during this period, during which her daughters, aged 11 and 7, suffered heinous abuse.
While in the company of the woman, Shishupalan repeatedly subjected the 7-year-old daughter to brutal assaults, causing severe injuries to her private parts. Shockingly, the mother not only failed to intervene but also took the child to Shishupalan’s residence, where he continued the abuse in her presence.
The elder sister, upon returning home, was informed by the younger child about the abuse. Subsequently, the elder sibling was also victimized by Shishupalan. Due to threats, the children initially kept silent about the abuse. Eventually, the elder sister managed to escape with the younger one, seeking refuge at their grandmother’s house. The grandmother, upon learning about the traumatic incidents, promptly reported the matter and facilitated the children’s relocation to a children’s home.
During counselling sessions at the children’s home, the victims recounted their harrowing experiences. The special public prosecutor, RS Vijay Mohan, expressed the gravity of the case, stating that the accused had abandoned her mentally ill husband, lived with two lovers, and allowed them to sexually and brutally abuse her own daughters.
The first accused, Shishupalan, tragically committed suicide during the trial, leading to proceedings solely against the mother. The court, presided over by Judge R Rekha, emphasized the severe nature of the crimes, declaring the accused “an entire shame to motherhood” and deserving of no leniency, thus sentencing her to 40 years of imprisonment. Currently, the children are under the care of a children’s home.
