Pascal to meet daughter on Xmas, wife says girl 'traumatised'

Suja Jones, wife of French consulate employee Pascal Mazurier who is accused of raping his daughter, on Wednesday said her daughter was traumatised after the High Court allowed Pascal to meet the girl on Christmas day.

Jones had filed a police complaint that her three-year-and-ten-month-old daughter, who is now seven, was raped and sodomised by her husband. The police had filed a charge sheet against Pascal for rape and the sessions court has framed charges in the case.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court permitted Pascal to meet his daughter for a few hours on Christmas day in the presence of a supervisor appointed by the mother.
“How can this be allowed? The trial in the case is still pending and if the accused is allowed to meet the victim, then what is the point of even fighting such a case,” she asked.

Members of several organisations supported Jones at a press conference on Wednesday and they said the court had so far granted visitation rights to Pascal to meet his sons.

“First he sought permission to meet the children in the family court, which he was denied. Thereafter he sought for rights of his parents to visit the children. The High Court permitted him to meet his sons on some weekends. Emboldened by this order, he sought permission to visit all his children on Christmas,” a member said.

Founder of Enfold Proactive Health Trust, Dr Shaibya Saldanha, said that after the meeting, the child may retract her statement.

“One of the worst betrayals which causes profound trauma to the child is when the child is disbelieved, hounded or harassed for having disclosed sexual assault. A case in point is when the perpetrator is allowed to meet and interact with the child.

“The child realises that even after having spoken out, he or she is helpless against the perpetrator, who apparently is more powerful than the protectors. This is a primary way perpetrators try to ensure the child retracts his or her statement and allows the perpetrator to go free,” Saldanha said.