New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS): A Delhi court has sentenced a hospital's housekeeping staff to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old patient in 2018.

The court held that convict Radhey Shyam, being a threat to society, should be kept away, stressing that the maximum punishment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was greater than the penal provision for rape in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The judge noted the heinous nature of the offence and its severe impact on the victim's life.

The punishment of life imprisonment was necessary as the convict was not entitled to remain in society, considering the gravity of the crime, the court said.

Noting aggravating circumstances, it mentioned that the convict, being a member of the hospital's housekeeping staff, was in a position of authority but failed to consider the minor girl's condition.

While acknowledging the mitigating factor of the convict's poverty and responsibility for three children, the court asserted that leniency in such cases would undermine public confidence in the justice delivery system.

The court did not award the death sentence, stating that the crime did not fall into the "rarest of rare" category.

Additionally, a compensation of Rs 10.5 lakh was awarded to the victim.