Bangalore: A local court has ordered framing of charges against French consular official Pascal Mazurier and his trial for the alleged sexual assault of his minor daughter.
“Session Court for Offences against Children judge Shubha Gowdar on Monday ordered that there is sufficient material for framing charges against the accused (Mazurier) and to go for trial in the sexual assault case,” special public prosecutor B T Venkatesh said yesterday.
Gowdar posted the case Jan 24 for framing of charges against Mazurier. Mazurier, 40, who is on bail in the sexual abuse case, filed an application in the session court seeking an order to discharge from the criminal case on the grounds of insufficient evidence against him.
“We, however, argued that there is a prima facie case against the accused to prove his involvement in the course of the trial,” Venkatesh said. S Mahesh, counsel for the accused, argued that the DNA test of the father and the four-year-old child did not match and projected that it was a one-off incident of sexual assault.
“Our contention was that the allegations of sexual assault and sodomy were over a period of time and the DNA report was inconsequential,” Venkatesh said. “I am deeply disappointed with the order. I will seek justice in a higher court,” Mazurier said.
The criminal case was filed by the consular’s estranged Indian wife Suja Jones.
IANS
