Rapists worse than beasts, merit no leniency: HC

Rapists are “worse than beasts” and should be dealt with a “heavy hand”, the Delhi high court held on Monday while rejecting the appeal of a 35- year- old man against the life sentence awarded to him by the trial court for raping a two- year- old girl.

The court said the government should make efforts to sensitise the people about the consequence of such heinous offences.

“Each time we hear of a rape case, or any sort of assault against women, it gives a chill in the spine, daunts the faith overshadowing the entire system and shuns away the faith of the society at large. It is one of such crimes that do not deserve to be assuaged..... The cases of rape, gangrape and digital rape are on the increase and perpetrators of this inhuman and brutal crime are worse than even the beasts and deserve to be dealt with a heavy hand,” a bench of Justices Kailash Gambhir and Indermeet Kaur said.

“We may point out that leniency in such like cases would send a wrong message to the society. Rather, by deft modulation, the sentencing process should be stern where it is called for, especially in cases where one tends to lark with human body and soul,” the court said, adding that state governments should make efforts to sensitise the people about the consequence of such crimes.

“.... The state shall also necessitate much quicker resort to the problems of each and every aggrieved female child or her family. For the very purpose, the state, with the help of the Bar Council of India, various NGOs, RWAs and Bar Associations, can arrange such campaigns or education programmes and find a reach to every nook and corner of the society. It would be important in this regard that certain steps imparting knowledge of law to all the classes, explaining to the people about the consequences of any sort of harm being caused to women can make them suffer drastically should be adopted,” the bench said.