Six-year-old in Pakistan acquitted of 'sexual assault'

5 Dariya News

Islamabad 15-Nov-2014

A court in Pakistan has acquitted a six-year-old boy of assaulting a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty, a media report said Saturday.The court announced its order Friday, Dawn online reported.Police in Shalimar Town in Lahore had registered a case Nov 12 against Hasan and his minor brother Hasnain on the complaint of Nadia Akhtar.The complainant alleged the suspects attacked her with an iron rod and attempted to outrage her modesty. Hasan had already obtained pre-arrest bail in the case.However, Hasnain appeared before the court accompanied by his counsel and sought pre-arrest bail.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Naveed Iqbal took cognizance of the illegality committed by the police while lodging the FIR against a minor. The judge observed that Section 82 of PPC restricted nomination of a child under seven years of age against any offence. The section states: “Nothing is an offence, which is done by a child under seven years of age.”The judge acquitted the minor of the charges and directed the investigating officer to cancel the FIR and submit a report before the judicial magistrate concerned.