Rape survivor's testimony can be accepted without corroboration: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court on Monday announced that a rape survivor's testimony can be accepted as enough proof for conviction, especially if the rapist is her father. The court's observation, aimed at facilitating speedy trial of rape cases, was made while it was hearing an appeal by a man held guilty of raping his 17-year-old daughter. Read on to know more about the verdict.
HC upholds trial court's verdict; awards father 7 year jail
"While dealing with the case of rape wherein the offender is none else but the father, the version of the prosecutrix can be accepted without any corroboration," the court announced, reported PTI. Justice Pratibha Rani upheld the accused father's 7-year jail term as sentenced by a trial court in November 2009 that held him guilty of raping his daughter.
Father had challenged his conviction, pointing discrepancies in survivor's testimony
The father had challenged his conviction, pointing out discrepancies in the survivor's testimony, since she wasn't sure about the date or month of the incident. The court, however, overruled his objection, stating the medical evidence corroborated the daughter's testimony (her hymen was found ruptured), and pointing out that the girl was illiterate and unequipped to identify specific dates or time.
Rape cases increased by over 30% between 2011 and 2015
The man reportedly used to beat and rape his daughter after his wife's death in 2008. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of rape cases reported in India jumped from 24,206 in 2011 to 34,651 in 2015, a 30.14% increase in five years. The total cases of crimes against women rose from 2,28,650 to 3,27,394 in this time, a 30.16% jump.
