Amid nationwide uproar, cabinet to bring in death penalty for child rape


New Delhi, Apr 21 (DC): Amid nationwide outrage over sexual violence against young girls, the Union Cabinet is expected to clear an ordinance, or emergency executive order, to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age.

The meeting will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returns from a five-day foreign visit.

Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the 2012 gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital.

Much of the anger was targeted against leaders of the ruling BJP who were seen to be protecting the rapists in both cases. It was amid this public anger that Union Minister Maneka Gandhi last week put out a video message that spoke about her intention to request the Cabinet to introduce death penalty for child rapists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also got called out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday. She called the gangrape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua "revolting" and hoped "Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Modi pay more attention" to the condition of women.

The government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, news agency PTI quoted sources aware of the development saying.

As the POCSO law stands today, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

On Friday, the government informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

"An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," PTI quoted a law ministry official as saying.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities. “I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice,” he said.

Also Read: Our daughters will definitely get justice: PM amid anger over rape cases

In London, Modi had said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too." The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said, adding that rape of a daughter is a matter of shame for the country.

  

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Comment on this article

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    Death penalty should be there for robbers, dacoits, chain snatchers, communal murderers etc...
    Court should consider every case as a rarest case and do justice...

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Yenku, Panambur

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    Not possible....
    B'coz, who will bell the Cat?
    And all cats are from Pee party...
    So, no way penalty.
    If more pressure, they will get royalty...

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Myna, Mysuru

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    The increase in rape of children has increased since 2015 and now we find the Governments of the day are trying to defend the rapists in few North Indian Governments. Our PM took a long time like the Dinosaurs to realize that he had a moral duty to at least condemn the heinous crime. He had to be condemned by the World citizens in the UK who reminded him "Enough is Enough of your empty rhetoric" now get down to business and take action. We are tired of this "WINDBAG of INDIA" called Narendra Modi. His Monkey Bath is no more acceptable. National uproar is against rape, indecision, wrong decisions, U turns, and utter collapse of the administration. It is time the PM exhibits his administrative talent through a Surgical Strike to stall Rape. Death Penalty doesn't solve or put an end to crime. The criminal who rapes a "Woman" of any age should be give Life Imprisonment until death with no respite through Parole, meeting their family members or Release for Good Conduct. The Rapist should meet his death in the prison. What is surprising is the involvement of men post 60 years in rape. This is shocking.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Peter, Udupi

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    Not applicable for Sang parivar and BJP!!!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Af,,, Mangalore

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    NO use, country like us death penalty will is useless ,this will never happened, the court will take another 30 to 40 years to hand a rapist by the time he is old and based on humanitarian he will be consider as life time and may get release based on the Govt is in center during that time.. if at all the rule is made finish all prosecutions within week and finish and close the file..

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    BETI BACHAO AUR BETI KO BALTKARI NETAON SE BACHAO.

    Unless and until harsh punishments like public stoning or hanging is meted out to the accused in public this kind of incidents would go on. There is no fear of the police or the administration.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • John Tauro, M'luru / Kwt

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    Why not death penalty for raping girl up to 18 years of age instead on 12? Is it to exempt that rapist MLA? An 18 year old also comes under minor age group.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed K.C., Mangalore

    Sat, Apr 21 2018

    We want all the rapists to be given death sentence and executed in front of public. Should telecast it live on all the channels.
    We don't want government to spare the rapist of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse


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