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This is an archive article published on March 19, 2011
SC overturns acquittal of 2 British paedophiles
The Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of two British nationals who were convicted in 2008 on charges of sexual abuse.
The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the acquittal of two British nationals who were convicted in 2008 on charges of sexual abuse of minor boys living in shelters run by them in Mumbai and directed they be taken into custody to undergo their remaining jail terms.
Children are the greatest gift to humanity. The sexual abuse of children is one of the most heinous crimes. It is an appalling violation of their trust,an ugly breach of our commitment to protect the innocent, the court said while restoring the conviction of paedophiles Allan John Waters and Duncan Alexander Grantthe.
Our Constitution provides several measures to protect our children and government is expected to implement them to meet the constitutional aim,a bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan observed in their judgment.
Besides ordering the duo to serve their remaining jail terms,the bench also directed recovery of damages and fines imposed on them by the trial court on March 18,2006. The trial court had ordered the two Britishers to pay a compensation of 20,000 each while also imposing a fine of Rs 15,000 on William Dsouza,their Indian aide,who was a manager in the shelters-for-homeless run by them at three places in Mumbai.
Waters and Grant were sentenced to six years each. While Waters has undergone five years imprisonment,Grant has served three years two months. DSouza has served a month longer in jail than the three years term imposed upon him.
The apex court restored their convictions on appeals by civil society Childline India Foundation and Maharashtra government,challenging the High Court ruling which had freed them in July 2008.
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