Mumbai : A Christian cleric in Mumbai has been convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. Father Johnson Lawrence was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special Poxo court in Mumbai Sessions Court on Wednesday. Judge Seema Jadhav convicted the accused under sections 6 and 12 of the Poxo Act. The 52-year-old priest was arrested by Mumbai police in December 2015 and has been lodged in jail ever since.
What happened?
The victim’s son was going to church in August 2015 for regular prayers. Meanwhile, the accused father had stopped him alone after many times. The victim was from a poor family and did not immediately report any abuses to her, fearing that the church would help. But gradually it started affecting his mentality. He became lonely and quiet, later his health deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized.
On November 27, the boy returned to church with his family. At that time, the accused father asked him to leave a box in his office and he followed. That night the boy was again unnaturally abused. When he returned home, the boy told his mother the truth, and his parents reported the matter to the police.
Defendant Father Johnson Lawrence had denied all charges against him in court. However, the government party presented the allegations against the father by presenting nine other witnesses and other evidence, including the doctor examining the child in court.