It was in June 2012 that Pascal Mazurier a French diplomat was arrested in Bengaluru after his wife Suja Jones accused him of repeatedly raping their four year old daughter.
Three years later, in a move that is being described as human rights violation by activists, the Karnataka High Court has allowed Pascal Mazurier to meet the girl child, who is now seven years old.
Mazurier has been allowed to meet his daughter for a few hours on Christmas day in the presence of a supervisor appointed by the mother.
"How can this be allowed? The trial in the criminal case of rape against him is still pending in the trial court. If an accused is allowed to meet a victim and behave normally, then what is the point of even filing and fighting such a case," asks Suja Jones.
Pascal and Suja have three children. Though he had asked for three days custody of the two boys and one day with the girl child, the court only granted him a few hours with all three.
"He has already been granted visitation rights as far as the boys are concerned. He meets them twice a month. Why should he meet my daughter? I cannot tell you how traumatised she is," Suja says.
With only the Supreme Court vacation bench operating this week, Suja is unsure if going to the apex court would be helpful.
"This is a clear violation of the child's rights, adds to her trauma and sets a wrong precedent. An accused in a heinous crime is being allowed to meet the victim," says Nina Nayak, former member of the NCPCR.
On February 11 2014, a sessions court here framed charges against Mazurier under IPC section 376.