Sentencing of 15 convicted of assaulting disabled minor on Mon

A special court here is expected to pronounce on Monday the quantum of punishment for 15 men convicted of sexually assaulting a minor disabled girl at an apartment complex here.

On Saturday, the Special Court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenders (POSCO) Act had convicted 15 accused, acquitted one while one person died while the trial was on.

The 12-year-old hearing impaired girl was sexually assaulted by the convicts working in the apartment complex as lift operators, plumbers, housekeepers, security guard and others for about seven months.

The convicts were R. Ravikumar, M. Suresh, A. Rajasekar, A. Erald Bross, B.J. Sugumaran, N. Abishek, K. Murugesu, N. Paramasivam, N. Palani, A. Jayaganesh, Deenadayalan, A. Jayaraman, E. Surya, J. Raja, and A. Umapathy, while P. Gunasekaran has been acquitted and accused N. Babu died during the trial.

Some of accused were above 50 years of age.

The sexual assault came to light last year when the girl told about her ordeal to her elder sister who had come here on holiday from Delhi.

The parents then lodged a police complaint and the 17 persons were arrested.

According to the police, the girl was first sexually assaulted by the lift operator in the apartment complex and later, the other service persons assaulted her.IANS