Death penalty introduced for child rape after Indian protests

in New Delhi

THE Indian government yesterday introduced the death penalty for the rape of a child, among a raft of tougher laws to prevent sexual offences.

The emergency executive order was issued after two weeks of mass protests following the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl. The cabinet met to approve the law just hours after Narendra Modi, the prime minister, returned from his visit to Britain.

The measure is intended to give women and children more security and comes amid accusations of government apathy over sexual violence.

The changes in Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, include capital punishment for child rapists, faster investigation and trial procedures in rape cases, increasing minimum sentencing terms and refusal of bail if the alleged victim is a minor. The minimum punishment for rape will rise from seven to 10 years in jail.

Protesters took to the streets in their tens of thousands to express their fury mainly over the rape and murder of Asifa Bano, an eight-year-old Muslim girl, in Kashmir. The girl, from a nomadic shepherd community, was kidnapped and drugged, and held in a temple to be gang raped for a week before being strangled and battered to death. Eight suspects are on trial in the case, including three police officers.

Another high-profile case concerned a girl of 16 in Uttar Pradesh, who accused a ruling party politician of rape.

After weeks of inaction, the victim tried to kill herself in front of the chief state minister’s house. When her father went to complain, he was put into police custody and was later found dead. Detectives later arrested Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a close colleague of the prime minister, on suspicion of rape. He denies the accusations.

During the protests Maneka Gandhi, the women and children’s minister, pledged to seek changes to the law. The new legal measures still require presidential approval, but the emergency action means it will be expedited.