A 23-year-old man was granted bail by a special Protection Of Children From Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court in Mumbai after his lawyers claimed that he has Peter Pan syndrome, Indian Express reports. The accused had allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, whom he says he married later.

What is Peter Pan syndrome?

People suffering from Peter Pan syndrome are said to ‘never grow up’. These people exhibit emotionally immature behaviour, deny responsibilities of adulthood and do not recognize relationships. The syndrome is, however, not recognised by WHO as a psychological disorder.

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Peter Pan, a fictional character created by Scottish novelist James Matthew Barrie, has been adapted in numerous films, television series and comics. A resident of Neverland, Peter Pan is carefree and never goes up. 

The term ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ first appeared  Dr Dan Kile’s 1983 book titled ‘Peter Pan Syndrome: Men Who Have Never Grown Up’. 

Defense lawyer Sunil Pandey argued in court that the girl’s family knew about the relationship between the 23-year but did not like it because of the man’s illness and background, according to the Indian Express report.

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“The family members of the victim were aware of their relationship. The applicant and the victim got married and lived together as husband and wife…It is further submitted that the applicant is suffering from Peter Pan syndrome,” the court observed.

The man was arrested in April after a complaint was filed against him. The bail order states that the girl had sufficient knowledge and capacity to know the full import of and has only thereafter voluntarily joined the applicant.