Kerala pastor assaulted a 13-yr-old girl

THRISSUR, MAY 13: A Pastor of Salvation Army Church, at Peechi has been discovered blameworthy in the case of assaulting a 13-year girl belonging to the scheduled caste community at the Church building and at his presbytery.

In-Depth into details, The accused was identified as K.James (35) was sentenced to life imprisonment until death for raping 13-year old multiple time since 2014, Justice Nixon Joseph said the Verdict on Friday.

He was convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused James, who is the son Kuttikkal James of Nedunkandam of Kottayam, is already undergoing 40-years of imprisonment in Central jail of Viyyur in another rape case of a 12-year old girl.

According to Pious Mathew, the special prosecutor said, 'the 35-year old pastor had raped the girl, who was studying in the seventh standard, on several occasions at the church at Thekkepaikkandam, near Peechi during the period between 2013 and 2015.

The girl first informed to the teacher about the incident, who was also working as the counsellor at the school. The Teacher then reported to the police about the incident through the child welfare committee.

The prosecutor said, Both the girls were studying in the same school were raped by the pastor and medical examinations had confirmed rape. When the incidents had occurred, the accused was staying with his wife and daughter.