'He will never walk free': Indian judge's letter promises child sex abuse survivor

'He will never walk free': Indian judge's letter promises child sex abuse survivor

More than 69,000 cases of child sexual abuse were recorded in India in 2024 alone (representative image)

An Indian judge’s heartfelt letter, praising a child rape survivor for her “courage” and assuring her that her abuser “will live in a cage for the rest of his life,” is winning admiration across India.

Trial court Judge Rajani Ranga’s letter is addressed to the 10-year-old, who was sexually abused on 23rd July 2023 when she was seven, as “Dear child” and calls her “the bravest little girl this court has ever seen”.

The trial court sentenced the convict to life imprisonment, stressing that he would remain behind bars for “the remainder of his natural life,” and also awarded the survivor compensation of 1.05m rupees ($10,941; £8,274).

At the close of her order, Judge Ranga said she “must address the child victim - not in the formal language of a judgment but as a judge who has heard her voice, who has read her words, and who has been moved by her courage”.

“When you said ‘Jab tak uncle buddhe na ho jaaye, tab tak unhe jail mein hi rakha jaaye [Keep the ‘uncle’ in jail until he grows old], this court listened. And this court has answered your plea,” she wrote to the child survivor.

“Today, this court has ordered that the man you called ‘uncle’ will never walk free again. He will live in a cage for the rest of his life. He will grow old in that cage. He will die in that cage. He will never be able to hurt you, or your little sister, or any other child, ever again,” she added.

Describing her as “the bravest little girl,” the judge praised her “for coming to court, pointing out the man who hurt her and telling the truth”.

“The man you called ‘uncle’ did a very bad thing to you. But you did not stay quiet. You told your mother. And because you had the courage to speak, he will never be able to hurt another child again.

“The court can promise you that he will never see the sun as a free man again.”

Ending her letter, the judge said the “court cannot give you back your childhood”, but urged her to “now live your life. Go to school. Make friends. Laugh. Play. Dream. This court will always remember your courage”.

Judge Ranga’s letter is part of the order announced on 11 July, but because child sexual assault cases are heard in special Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) courts, their judgments are never made public in order to protect victims’ identities.

It came to light after it was reproduced recently in a Delhi high court order that rejected the convict’s appeal for bail and suspension of sentence. The high court order named the convict, who is an adult, but gave no other details about him.

Calling Judge Ranga’s letter “a message of encouragement” to the child, the high court judges ordered the Delhi State Legal Authority to print a copy and hand it to the child along with the compensation money.

The emotional letter has touched many Indians, who have shared it on social media, calling it “a rarity” and “a ray of hope” and praising the judge.

Many have also voiced grief over the horrific nature of the crime, in which a child was sexually abused when she was only seven.

The judge’s letter may be rare, but campaigners say the seven-year-old child’s case is not a rarity - more than 69,000 Pocso cases were recorded in India in 2024 alone, according to government crime data

And studies show that, as in most cases, abusers are known to victims and are often trusted people and caregivers, and many cases are never reported to the authorities.

Survivors say such abuse can leave lifelong scars and affect their entire lives.

In her order, Judge Ranga also dealt with the question of how such an assault can permanently affect a child.

After “evaluating the nature of the crime, the depth of suffering, and the lifelong impact on the victim child”, she said her order was “an attempt to heal and restore” the child.