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4 gang rapists sentenced to death in India
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An Indian court yesterday sentenced to death four men for the gang rape and murder of a young New Delhi woman, ordering them to the gallows for a brutal attack that riveted India, where it became a symbol of the widespread mistreatment of women and the government’s inability to deal with crime.
Issuing his decision, Judge Yogesh Khanna said the attack “shocked the collective conscience” of India. “In these times, when crime against women is on the rise, the courts cannot turn a blind eye toward such gruesome crimes.”
Like all death sentences, Khanna’s order must be confirmed by India’s High Court. The men can appeal their case to the High Court, as well as to the Supreme Court, and ask the president for clemency.
The victim’s family, along with numerous politicians and government officials, have long called for the men to be executed. The family was in the courtroom as the sentence was announced. “I am very happy our girl has got justice,” said the victim’s father.
The 23-year-old victim and a male friend were coming home last December from an evening showing of the movie “Life of Pi” when the men lured them into boarding a bus they were joy-riding through New Delhi. They quickly beat the friend, held the woman down and took turns raping her. They also penetrated her with a metal rod, causing the massive injuries that led to her death in a Singapore hospital.
Reforming a series of laws
Under intense pressure, the Congress party-led national government worked hard to project a tough-on-crime image after the attack, reforming a series of laws on sexual violence. Many in the party, which faces dwindling support and national elections next year, have made clear they want the men to be executed.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who earlier in the week said death sentences were assured in the case, welcomed the sentence.
“The victim and her family have got justice,” he told reporters in New Delhi. “The judge has set an example for anti-social elements that they would meet a similar fate if they committed such crimes.”
Many have expressed hope that the case, and the intense media coverage, will help change traditional attitudes that relegate women to subservient roles and contribute to a landscape of sexual harassment and fear. Women learn from girlhood to dress conservatively and avoid going out after dark. They teach themselves to ignore the rampant groping and lewd comments they encounter in public.
Rapes are regularly blamed on the victims. Many rape victims are shunned by their families, fired from jobs and driven from their home villages. As a result, most rape victims are still thought to remain silent.
“Too often the pressure is on the girls to stay safe. But parents need to take responsibility for their sons,” said Satvinder Kaur, a 40-year-old mother. “The culture will only change when mothers stop their sons from going out late at night, when they make it clear they will not stand behind them if they do something like this.”
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