India toughens up rape laws for youths
By Everton Gayle | With REUTERS



NEW DELHI: -- India’s upper house of parliament has passed a bill lowering the age at which youths can be tried for serious crimes.

The law will allow those in the 16 to 18-year-old bracket who are found guilty of rape and murder to be given the same punishments as adults.

The move follows the release of a minor convicted in the 2012 gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, on a Dehli bus.

Five men and one minor were convicted.

Four of the adults were sentenced to death while the fifth hanged himself in prison.

The youth was short of his 18th birthday at the time of the incident and his release last week sparked a debate on whether the country was too lenient on young offenders.

He served three years in a reform home.

The incident led to widespread public protests demanding tougher laws to protect women and girls from sexual violence.

Jyoti Singh’s mother said she was sad that her daughter did not get justice but she was satisfied with the passing of the bill.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-23

Good, good, good. Rape is such a heinous crime. It should be punishable by the severest means possible. Youth, or not. If you are old enough to rape a woman, you are old enough to rot in jail for a couple of decades. Otherwise, where is the deterrent? Youths get a free pass? What kind of message is that sending to society? The beauty of this formula, is that the younger guys are probably more desirable in prison. So, it works both ways. He ends up getting a sort of double punishment. Hoorah.

Like many Asian countries, a lot of laws are passed. Like many Asian countries, they have a non-functioning police force, village "culture" and superstitions.