The Bumthang District Court sentenced a 55-year-old man from Trashigang to three years and three months in prison for molesting his 12-year-old niece. The incident took place in March last year in Chhumey Gewog when the man spent a night at the victim’s family home on his way to Trongsa. The judgment was passed yesterday.
According to the judgment, the man had slept with the victim and her 11-year-old brother on the same bed as there were no other rooms to sleep in. He made the children watch videos on his phone before asking the girl to sleep with him.
The brother’s statement to the police in the presence of a teacher, a counsellor, a RENEW volunteer and his parents says he had seen the uncle on top of his sister naked and had also partially undressed her while she was crying. The girl stated that the uncle touched her private parts and tried to influence her into sex by paying her Nu 300.
The man in his statement to the police initially denied having touched the girl intentionally. He also questioned the legitimacy of the victim’s brother as a witness in the investigation and claimed that the boy’s statement could be influenced by his family members.
A medical examination ruled out rape.
Meanwhile, to examine the credibility of the child witnesses, the court recently conducted a video conference with the children who were by then taken by their elder sister to another district.
The children stated all the facts as explicitly as their statements to the police. The convict then confessed to having touched the girl.
Besides the sentencing, he will also have to pay a compensation of Nu 45,000 to the victim within one month after the judgment is passed.
The offence of child molestation is a felony of the fourth degree with a prison term ranging between three and five years.
Kipchu, Bumthang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
