The Supreme Court of Pakistan has commuted the death sentence of a man convicted of raping a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Sheikhupura to life imprisonment, 24NewsHD TV reported.
In a detailed written judgment by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, the apex court maintained the convict's fine of Rs300,000 and an additional six-month prison term.
The court also upheld an order under the Anti-Rape Act requiring the convict to pay Rs100,000 in compensation to the victim.
The case involved the rape of a 10-year-old student by a school sweeper at a housing colony school in Sheikhupura.
The Supreme Court noted that the medical examination confirmed sexual assault and revealed injury marks on the child's body, supporting the prosecution's case.
The court ruled that the absence of semen in the forensic laboratory report did not invalidate the rape case.
It further observed that the three-day delay in registering the FIR could not be treated as a ground for extending the benefit of doubt to the accused under the circumstances of the case.
According to the judgment, the school administration attempted to conceal the incident after it occurred and even administered a drip to the victim inside the school premises.
The court held that the silence and delay on the part of the school administration could not be allowed to prejudice the rights of the victim and her widowed mother.
Rejecting the convict's defence, the court said his claim that he had been implicated due to a dispute at the school gate could not be substantiated.
In its observations, the Supreme Court held that ensuring the safety of female students in educational institutions and on their way to and from school is a fundamental constitutional responsibility of the state.
The court directed all provincial inspectors general of police and the Inspector General of Islamabad Police to increase patrols around educational institutions.
The judgment also instructed police authorities to take immediate and effective measures for the protection of girls in schools, colleges and universities and to respond without delay to complaints involving harassment of women and children.
Additionally, the Supreme Court recommended that the federal and provincial governments establish modern medico-legal service systems on the pattern of the Sindh Medical Legal Act 2023 to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence cases.
In a separate legal observation included in the ruling, the court stated that a woman who has obtained a divorce through khula is not required to seek permission from her former husband before entering into a second marriage.
The court stressed that such a requirement has no basis in law.