SHC comes down hard on defence lawyer for bringing child rape victim's mother to dock

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court expressed strong displeasure after the mother of a child rape victim was brought into the courtroom during the hearing of an appeal against a life sentence in a child abuse case.

Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro was hearing the appeal filed by the maternal uncle of the victim, who had been convicted of raping his niece. During the proceedings, the defence lawyer brought the victim’s mother to the court without prior permission, prompting a stern response from the bench.

The court questioned the lawyer, asking, “What do you hope to achieve by bringing the mother of a child rape victim into court?”

The lawyer replied that she “wants to say something to the court, which is why she has come.”

Justice Kalhoro criticised the move, saying, “She did not come on her own; you manipulated her and brought her here. This is not a murder case where forgiveness from the heirs can cancel the punishment. You cannot gain any advantage by using such tactics during the appeal. Do not exploit her lack of legal knowledge.”

The court emphasised that the trust between a niece and a maternal uncle is sacred, and anyone who violates it must face strict punishment.

The convicted man, Naseeb Gul, had been sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of one lakh rupees by a lower court after being found guilty of sexually abusing his niece. The FIR against him was registered in 2021 in the New Karachi Industrial Area.

According to the FIR, the child’s mother used to leave home for work as a polio worker after her divorce. The maternal uncle took advantage of her absence, sexually assaulted the child, and threatened her to keep silent. Even after the mother remarried, the accused allegedly continued his criminal attempts. The case was registered and the suspect was arrested after the child resisted and reported the abuse.