Youth gets life term for raping minor

A City Civil and Sessions Court on Friday convicted a 22-year-old man for sexually assaulting a minor and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The Mahadevapura police had arrested Dennison in June 2016 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. Public prosecutor Chinna Venkataravanappa argued the case and Special Judge of the 53rd City and Civil Sessions Court, S H Pushpanjali Devi, convicted the accused.

Police said the girl was 15 at the time of the offence and lives with her 25-year-old brother, who works as a construction worker, in Basavanna Nagar. As per the charge sheet filed by the police, the girl was going to a lake to wash clothes when the accused followed and raped her.

Under the Pocso Act, it is advised that the trial is completed within one year of the commission of the offence. "There are so many cases that it takes between three and five years for these trials despite our best efforts," advocate Chinna Venkataravanappa said.

Dennison was moved to the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara on August 30.