It's a huge weight off her chest, the survivor's mother told NDTV, shortly after a court found former Tehelka magazine editor Tarun Tejpal guilty of raping the woman's daughter, a former colleague.
The mother said it took a "lot of strength" to keep going all these years. The case came to light in 2013.
"The final verdict has lifted a heavy weight from my heart. It was painful long years and took a lot of strength to keep going," the survivor's mother said.
"I could only thank the Goa government and their lawyers who believed and fought for justice," she added.
The Bombay High Court's Goa bench convicted Tejpal, now 62, for raping a colleague in 2013, setting aside his acquittal by a Goa sessions court five years ago.
Tejpal said he would approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's judgment, asserting that the order was "wrong".
Earlier today in court, Tejpal said he believes "he is a victim" and asked for leniency.
"I am 62 and I believe I am a victim. I have a wife and that's not much else to say. All that I can say is we can go and appeal. Please be lenient for me. Rest all facts are placed on record,"Tejpal said to the court.
The survivor, whose identity has not been revealed in accordance with the law, said Tejpal had assaulted her twice in the hotel elevator on the sidelines of ThinkFest, an annual event sponsored by the magazine, on November 7 and 8 in 2013. Tejpal was arrested on November 30 the same year.
Tejpal initially expressed remorse about the incident, saying it had resulted from "an awful misreading of the situation." But after the charges were filed, he said he was the victim of a "political vendetta."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Goa state, argued that Tejpal "could not take a no for a no", urging the court to grant maximum punishment to Tejpal.
"Despite the victim, a girl of his daughter's age, he committed an offence. He was a father figure, should have not indulged into this. A precedent must be set. The victim refused but he kept advancing on two subsequent days. This court must give out a clear message to the society that when a girl says no, it means no. A no means a no," Mehta said.
