Delhi gang-rape case could be turning point for India's rape laws
India is considering a fast-track court process to expedite rape cases and step up punishment for sexual violence on the heels of the bus rape incident that spurred outrage across India.
New Delhi
Proposals for changes in the law come at a critical time. Many people say there is little deterrent for rapists: Because of social stigma, few females come forward to report the crime. Those that do often have to wait years for their cases to be heard. And even then, the conviction rate is just 34.6 percent, according to the National Crimes Record Bureau. Delhi has the highest number of rapes in the country, with 572 rapes reported last year. While Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code lists punishments of up to a life sentence for rape, those convicted are often let off after serving only a few months or years.
But fast-track courts could change how people think about such crimes by expediting the trial period. Proposed amendments would also provide better privacy for women with in-camera trials, which would keep them from being in the same room as the accused.
He points to a report released this week that found as many as 27 Indian politicians in senior positions have rape or molestation cases pending against them.
“When the politicians passing the legislation and governering states across India have themselves been accused of rape and molesting women, it really shows where this country is in its nascent laws to protect women. Hopefully fast-track courts and stiffer penalties will start bringing some of these people to task.”
Ms. Sitharaman says the gruesome case that propelled the issue into the national spotlight shows how little perpetrators fear punishment: In the Delhi bus gang rape, both the woman and her friend who tried to protect her were thrown out of the moving bus – on a highway on the outskirts of the city, according to court testimony.
“Though the government may move slow in many areas, the commitment members of parliament have made to pass new legislation to protect women is real,” she says. “This terrible act has shaken the policymakers in this city to their core.”
But not everyone is convinced change is on the way. The pressure people across the city have been putting on the government this week must continue, says Dr. Vandana Prasad of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. “Announcements for changes in a law can mean something happening in one week or 10 years.”
Labels: Culture, Human Relations, Human Rights, India, Justice, Security, Sexism, Societal Failures
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