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posted by janrinok on Sunday April 22 2018, @05:44AM   Printer-friendly
from the make-the-punishment-fit-the-crime dept.

After a number of high-profile crimes that sparked outrage and protests, India will allow the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls under the age of 12:

The executive order was cleared at a special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It allows capital punishment for anyone convicted of raping children under the age of 12. Minimum prison sentences for rape against girls under the age of 16 and women have also been raised.

According to Reuters, which has seen a copy of the order, there was no mention of boys or men.

Two recent rape cases have shocked the nation. Protests erupted earlier this month after police released horrific details of the rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl by Hindu men in Kathua, in Indian-administered Kashmir in January. Anger has also been mounting after a member of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was accused last week over the rape of a 16-year-old girl in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

India's poor record of dealing with sexual violence came to the fore after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This led to huge protests and changes to the country's rape laws. But sexual attacks against women and children have since continued to be reported across the country.

Some activists have criticized the application of the death penalty, saying it will deter reporting, especially given that almost all perpetrators are family members or acquaintances.

Also at Reuters and Bloomberg. Editorial at The Indian Express.

Related: Indian Government Attempts to Suppress Rape Documentary


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Sunday April 22 2018, @07:18AM (2 children)

    by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Sunday April 22 2018, @07:18AM (#670267) Journal

    It's real purpose is to come down hard on perpetrators of Islam.

    It's real purpose is to come down hard on those that rape children - FTFY

    But, hey, don't worry about your personal bias getting in the way of facts. And how, exactly, does one 'perpetrate Islam'?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @08:51AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @08:51AM (#670281)

    Hey, don't let the facts get in the way of your personal pro-Islamist bias. The current legislation was started last year and is the result of the Nirbhaya Act from 2013 being ineffective against Islamic violence.

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Sunday April 22 2018, @12:06PM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Sunday April 22 2018, @12:06PM (#670315) Journal

      The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 is an Indian legislation passed by the Lok Sabha on 19 March 2013, and by the Rajya Sabha on 21 March 2013, which provides for amendment of Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act, and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 on laws related to sexual offences.

      It doesn't state that it only applies to those of an Islamic faith. So, as I said, don't let your personal bias get in the way of facts.

      Now you might argue that there are more Muslims carrying out such attacks than other religions but then you had better cite a source that backs up your assertion, rather than it being simply something that you have chosen to believe.