The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court sentenced clinical psychologist K. Gireesh to six years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) on Saturday after being found guilty of sexually abusing a minor boy five years ago.
Special Judge R. Jayakrishnan pronounced the verdict against Gireesh, 58, who hails from Killipalam and used to run a private clinic in the same building. Found guilty under Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 that deals with punishment for aggravated sexual assault, the psychologist has also been slapped a fine of ₹1 lakh, a default of which would lead to additional imprisonment for six months.
While the amount will be given to the survivor as compensation, the convict will serve the sentence in the Poojappura Central Prison.
This is for the first time that a psychologist has been convicted in a POCSO case. The case pertained to an incident that occurred at his clinic on August 14, 2017.
According to the prosecution led by special public prosecutor Vijay Mohan R.S., the then 13-year-old boy who was a Class VIII student of a private school at Manacaud had been referred to the psychologist by the school authorities after they suspected the boy of having a learning disability.
On the day of the incident, the student was taken to the clinic by his parents. After asking the child to solve a puzzle, Gireesh touched his private parts and repeatedly kissed him. The survivor opened up on the ordeal to his parents soon after they left the facility. On being alerted, the Childline forwarded their complaint to the Fort police that registered a case two days later.
During the trial, the court found him guilty of offences under Section 9(c) (sexual assault by a public servant on a child) and Section 9(e) (sexual assault by a manager of staff of a hospital on a child in the same facility). While the defendant claimed the case to be a fabricated one that was spurred by professional jealousy among others in the mental health service, the allegation could not be proved. The prosecution presented 15 witnesses and 17 exhibits.
Gireesh, who has worked in various government health centres including the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, has been accused in other cases of sexual abuse. While the trial in a POCSO case is set to commence next month, the convict had managed to settle another case pertaining to the alleged sexual harassment of a married woman in 2017.
