The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered a rapist to pay Rs1 million as compensation to a child born as a result of rape. The court issued a detailed verdict pertaining to the protection of children born after rape while hearing a mercy appeal submitted by the convict which was also dismissed by the court. The verdict said, “the minor baby girl born in result of crime committed by the appellant is ‘a person’ suffering mental anguish and psychological damage for her whole life, thus, she is entitled for the compensation provided under the law.” Nadeem Masood had raped a woman of Sargodha in 2010, resulting in the birth of a baby girl. A sessions court had sentenced him to 20 years rigorous imprisonment in December 2012 and also ordered him to pay Rs100,000. The convict was also ordered to undergo six-month additional imprisonment in case he failed to pay the amount. In our society, children born as a result of rape are stigmatised for life. The justice system and all relevant state machinery need to recognise the special needs of both the mother and child in such a situation. If such court orders are better publicised in the media, there could perhaps be a trickle-down effect in terms of the way rape survivors and children born as a result of rape are treated by society. The state must ensure special child protection services for children born of rape and provide psychological counselling for the mother and child. As a society, we need to embrace sufferers and be sensitive towards their needs, and the LHC’s order is a welcome step in that direction.
pk.shafaqna.com
