Juvenile accused in Dec 16 gang rape gets three years in reform home

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rapeThe juvenile in the December 16, 2012 gangrape-murder case of a 23-year-old paramedical student has been found guilty of rape and murder by the Juvenile Justice Board. This is the first judgement in the gangrape case that created a nationwide outrage.

He has been sentenced to three years in a correctional home subject to review. His sentence will include the period he has already spent in the remand home.

The gangrape victim’s family, dissatisfied with the sentence, has said it will go to higher courts to demand greater punishment.

Though there was no bone test done on the juvenile, he was declared a minor on the basis of his date of birth in his school register.

On December 16, 2012 at 9:10 pm, a 23-year-old woman and male friend’s journey home from a movie screening in a private bus turned horrific. Six people on board, including the driver and the bus assistant, all allegedly inebriated, raped the young woman and thrashed her friend brutally.

The doctors at the Safdarjung hospital where she was admitted were horrified by the brutality of the attack. Within hours, the gruesome story hit the headlines and people thronged India Gate in protest.

The 23-year-old victim succumbed to injuries on December 29 at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Among the six who teased and raped the woman was a 17-year-old. While some protesters demanded immediate execution, others asked for chemical castration. Protestors also called on the judiciary not to forgive the accused who was a juvenile, forcing the government to set up a panel to review the anti-rape law.

A new anti-rape law with stringent provisions for acid attacks, voyeurism, stalking and for those accused of rape came into force. But there was no change in the Juvenile Justice Act, which treats anyone less than 18 years of age as a juvenile in conflict with law.

While the adult accused in this case face trial in a fast-track court in Delhi, the teenager was tried in a juvenile court.

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