Man convicted for 5 years for sexually assaulting 7-yr-old

New Delhi : A Delhi court on Saturday sentenced a 40-year old man to five years in jail for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl, saying the sexual assault cripples a child and turn the victim into a "mental dwarf".

Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini convicted Mukesh for the offence under section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the convict.

"Sexual assault upon a child, of whatever magnitude, often cripples the child to such an extent, that the child's growth gets stunted, leaving him/her, a mental dwarf. Such children lose their focus in life, lose faith and hope, and grow up, suspecting and doubting everything and everyone.

"They get deprived of their 'childhood', and become a recluse. The damage done by sexual assault on a seven-year-old child's psyche is irreparable and irreversible," the court said.