Sanil K. James worked with the Salvation Army.
By Sreekanth A Nair
A Christian priest belonging to Salvation Army in Kerala was sentenced to 40 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a 12-year old girl several times.
Sanil K James, 34, was sentenced under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, for raping the girl who attended his church with her siblings in April 2014.
James managed to distract the attention of other children before he took the girl to his quarters where he raped her. The prosecution has found that the girl was raped several times by the priest.
The shocking incident came to light only in February last year when a child welfare committee conducted counseling at the school where the girl was studying.
The story of the girl was revealed by another victim whose case is also under the consideration of the court. That girl was also allegedly raped by James.
“During further sessions, she revealed the story of the other victim. Her own case is still under trial,” said Special Public Prosecutor Pious Mathew.
“They were not even able to imagine reporting this incident to their parents as he was a priest, a man who stands next to God,” he added.
The court has also fined the priest $290 and ordered to pay the victim who is 14 now, a compensation of $4348.
Sentencing the culprit to 40 years in jail is considered to be a strong action taken by the court against child abuse.
“Courts normally award life sentences to rape convicts but sentencing him to 40 years is exceptional,” Smriti Minocha, the director of the women’s justice initiative at the Human Rights Law Network, told AFP.