New Delhi, Sept. 10 -- Compassion for a family in anguish cannot justify impunity for harm done to a child, the Delhi high court has observed, while upholding the conviction of a man for repeatedly raping his 15-and-a-half-year-old sister.

A bench of justice Sanjeev Narula, in a verdict delivered on August 27 and released Monday, affirmed the trial court's December 2024 order convicting the man of rape and penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act. The court also directed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to coordinate counselling for the victim and her family, and to disburse Rs.13 lakh compensation awarded by the trial court.

In his appeal, the convict had challenged his conviction, arguing the judgment rested on a...