By Astha Bhumish Shah 

The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea filed by a person challenging their conviction and sentence of three years imprisonment in a voyeurism and sexual harassment case involving a minor. It observed that when the judiciary takes a firm stand against child sexual harassment, encourages victims and their families to report such crimes. This helps in reducing the stigma associated with seeking justice and ensuring that cases are handled with utmost care and seriousness. It further observed that victim and victim family shaming acts as a deterrent for people to report such offences to the authorities.

In the present case, it was alleged that one of the helping staff employed by the minor child’s father engaged in voyeurism, sexual harassment and outraging of the child’s modesty. The Court held that strict legal actions against perpetrators will act as a deterrent for potential offenders from undertaking similar actions. It demonstrates the proactive and uncompromising nature of how the country’s legal system deals with such offences. While dismissing the plea the Court further said that it is the paramount duty of the legal system to protect the most vulnerable, particularly children, from any form of secondary trauma caused by unjust accusations or demeaning narratives. (Pintu Das v. State Govt. of NCT of Delhi – CRL.A. 192/2024 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 380/2024) 

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