New Delhi: India has requested Kenya to revoke the diplomatic immunity of a Kenyan diplomat’s son to enable his prosecution for allegedly assaulting a minor at a Delhi school last year.
According to sources, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asked the Kenyan government to lift the immunity granted to him as a close family member of the diplomat.
The alleged incident took place last year, when a five-year-old Class 1 student was reportedly sexually assaulted twice in August by the Class 12 student on the school bus.
A case was registered on September 18 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at South Delhi’s Greater Kailash police station.
The MEA’s move comes about five months after the case was filed. At the time, the police had approached the foreign ministry for further steps.
Earlier this month, the Times of India reported that the minor’s parents staged a protest outside the school over the lack of action. The school later suspended the Class 12 student.
Officials had then stated that the matter about approaching the Kenyan government was under consideration as the legal aspects were being examined.
Under Article 37 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, “members of the family of a diplomatic agent forming part of his household shall, if they are not nationals of the receiving State, enjoy the privileges and immunities” granted to diplomats, including immunity from criminal jurisdiction.
