Tue Dec 31 05:37:34 UTC 2024: ## Life Imprisonment for Retired Merchant Navy Officer in Hyderabad Rape Case
**Hyderabad, December 31, 2024** – A retired petty officer from the Merchant Navy has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 16-year-old girl. Clawrence Fransis, 76 at the time of his arrest in April 2021, was found guilty by an Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge of the Nampally court in Hyderabad. He was also fined ₹10,000.
The court also convicted the girl’s uncle to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and a ₹10,000 fine. Police investigations revealed that Fransis, who lived next door to the victim, sexually assaulted the girl at his home, resulting in her pregnancy. The girl’s uncle also sexually assaulted her and threatened her.
The victim’s mother discovered the pregnancy during a medical examination and subsequently reported the assaults to the police. The case highlights the ongoing issue of sexual assault and the importance of reporting such crimes.
First Piper 