Tamil Nadu: Survivor, mom retract statements but stepdad gets 12 years for rape

A Chennai Pocso court sentenced a 48-year-old hotel worker to 20 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting his 15-year-old stepdaughter. The conviction relied on medical evidence and a tutor’s testimony, even after the survivor and her mother retracted their initial statements. The special public prosecutor successfully argued the case, citing corroborative medical evidence and a Supreme Court ruling.