New Delhi:
Baby Amal, who was raped when she was three years old, had testified in court and was found "unreliable," is finally vindicated. The men accused of assaulting her have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The state has also been directed to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the child, who is now five years old.
Assaulted in 2012, the child had to undergo three reconstructive surgeries, a fourth is on the way. But with her cheerful manner betraying nothing, the lawyers had dubbed her "Amal", meaning hope.
Amal's case came under the spotlight after the Delhi High Court, on October 16, gave a landmark judgment overturning a fast track court's decision that her testimony was "unreliable". (Read:
At 3, She Was Raped in Delhi and Testified. At 5, Surgeries Continue)
Not only did the high court convict the rapist, it also criticised the trial court, saying a three-year-old cannot be treated like an adult witness. "A three-year-old is not accountable for how she accompanied the accused to a secluded spot," the judges had said.
The trial court had called her 'untrustworthy' as she couldn't describe the incident clearly and explain why she went with the man.
Even when she had identified the accused in court, during the cross-examination, the child was asked, "Gudiya tum jhoot bol rahi ho (child, you are lying, right?") True or not?" When her mother asked the court to see the evidence, she was told, "Don't interrupt."
Amal's mother earns Rs 200 a day and has battled alone after she was abandoned by her family. The 25-year-old was so desperate that she left her daughter in an orphanage for six months, believing she would recover faster there. (Read:
At 3, She Testified About Her Rape. Now, She Needs A School)