Wiping a Minor’s Tears and Holding Her Hand Without Sexual Intent Does Not Constitute Sexual Assault: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court recently clarified that any physical contact during normal human interactions, such as wiping tears, holding hands, or comforting someone, does not inherently constitute sexual assault. The Court emphasized that the presence of sexual intent must be established through surrounding circumstances and not merely by physical contact. Justice R Vijayakumar stated that acts like wiping tears or holding a hand are natural gestures of consolation and do…