India, April 4 -- New Delhi

Rights of child victims of sexual assault cannot be negated merely because of parents choosing to settle the dispute among themselves, the Delhi high court held while refusing bail to a man accused of raping his 13-year-old daughter.

"Victims of sexual assault, particularly minor children, have independent rights under the law, which cannot be negated merely because their parents have chosen to settle disputes among themselves," a bench of justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said in her March 20 verdict, released on Thursday.

She added, "The legal system recognises the rights of every child, and even in situations where their own parents fail to stand by them or support them, the court has a bounden duty to uphold ...