The Court held that under Section 29 of the POCSO Act 2012, it is for the accused to defend himself once the prosecution proved the offence and the Court had drawn its presumption.
The pastor allegedly assaulted the minor girl on June 22. When the 10-year-old victim’s mother got to know of the incident, she filed a police complaint in the Sarpavaram police station.
The Catholic Church of Poland, the core element of Poland's national identity, which has been accused of covering up crimes of sexual abuse of minors by clergy members, on Monday acknowledged that it had received complaints of abuse from hundreds of boys and girls in the last three years.
The police have also deployed additional teams in the area to contain the law and order situation that might flare up owing to the rape of a minor Dalit girl by perpetrator of another community.