#attempt to rape

Uttarakhand HC upheld a father’s conviction for attempted rape under IPC 376 r/w 511 and POCSO §10, holding that lack of spermatozoa does not discredit the prosecutrix’s consistent, corroborated testimony. The ruling clarifies that victim testimony alone can sustain a conviction, affecting prosecutions where medical evidence is absent.

The Bombay High Court affirmed that conviction under Section 6 of the POCSO Act for attempt to rape a minor is valid even without medical evidence of penetration, emphasizing that the act of attempted sexual assault against a child is itself a grave offense under the law. This ruling reinforces the Act’s child-centric intent and expands prosecutorial leverage in cases where physical evidence is absent due to the victim’s age or delayed reporting.