HC warns of severe action for cybercrimes targeting children 

Mr. Jindal
3 Min Read

The High Court said digital abuse, though often faceless and silent, can be as mentally scarring as physical violence.

The High Court said digital abuse, though often faceless and silent, can be as mentally scarring as physical violence.
| Photo Credit: File Photo

 

Underscoring the seriousness of cyber offences targeting children, the Delhi High Court has said that such crimes will attract severe consequences, reflecting the grave psychological impact on victims.

While upholding the conviction of a man in a cyber-bullying case involving a minor, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, in a judgement delivered on July 28, stated that digital abuse, though often faceless and silent, can be as mentally scarring as physical violence.

The court was hearing an appeal in a 2016 case registered following a complaint lodged by the mother of a 14-year-old girl, a Class IX student, who became the target of a cyber assault.

According to the prosecution, the victim received a morphed nude image with her face superimposed on another person’s body, accompanied by a threatening message warning that the obscene content would be posted on Facebook unless she complied with the sender’s demands.

“The present case reflects a textbook example of cyber-bullying, where an adolescent girl, who was pursuing her studies, became a victim of a targeted assault upon her privacy and dignity,” said Justice Sharma.

“Such conduct, in the virtual world, has very real and devastating consequences in the real world,” the judge said.

The High Court said the psychological impact on a minor is difficult to quantify in words in a judgment.

A trial court convicted the accused under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and the Information Technology Act. He was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for five years.

The High Court found no grounds to interfere with the conviction, noting that the plea for leniency on behalf of the man “stands on a fragile footing”. “It is important not only to detect and punish such crimes effectively but also to affirmatively uphold a child’s right to safety, dignity, and mental well-being in such cases,” it added.

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