New Delhi (The Hawk): The well-being of a child with a delicate mental mind must be prioritised in light of the unavoidable long-term ramifications of childhood sexual abuse, according to the Delhi High Court.
The court made the remarks as it denied the appeal of a physics instructor who was accused of sexually harassing and molesting a Class 9 girl at a private school in 2006.
Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad's division bench made the following declaration: "Therefore, sexual harassment has the ability to leave a youngster with mental trauma and may shape how they think for years to come. The child's natural social development may be hampered, and it may also result in a number of psychosocial issues that may call for professional help."
The instructor had appealed a decision by a single judge that upheld the Delhi School Tribunal's orders from December 13, 2011, and the Disciplinary Authority's decision to punish him with mandatory retirement.
The teacher argued that the Disciplinary Committee member who also imposed the penalty was not a member of the school's teaching staff.
The judge, however, dismissed the claim and stated that the lady was an employee of the school and was simply sent on deputation. The judge further stated that the instructor was not prejudiced by the woman's membership on the Disciplinary Committee because she was an employee of the school.
The court upheld the decisions of the single judge, disciplinary authority, and tribunal and stated that the appellant had provided "nothing cogent on record to substantiate that the finding of the Inquiry Officer, as upheld by the Tribunal and the learned Single Judge of this Court, is perverse which would warrant interference from this court."
(Inputs from Agencies)