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Subscribe to RSSFive men, accused of the rape and murder of a medical student in India have appeared in court. If convicted they face the death penalty. The attack on a bus three weeks ago sparked outrage and violent protests in the country. ITV's Geraint Vincent reports.
NEW DELHI — Five men accused of the gang rape and murder of an Indian student appeared in court on Monday to hear charges against them, after two of them offered evidence possibly in return for a lighter sentence in the case, which is at the center of a global outcry.
The five men, along with a teenager, are accused of raping the 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a moving bus in New Delhi. She died two weeks later on December 28 in a Singapore hospital.
Two of the accused, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta, moved an application on Saturday requesting they be made "approvers," or informers against the other accused, a public prosecutor in the case, Rajiv Mohan, told Reuters.
Sharma and Gupta, along with co-accused Mukesh Kumar, Ram Singh and Akshay Thakur, have already been charged with murder, rape and abduction along with other offences. Prosecutor Mohan told Reuters he was seeking the death sentence in the case given the "heinous" nature of the crime.
"The five accused persons deserve not less than the death penalty," he said. His views echoing public sentiment and calls from the victim's family.
Reuters
A police van carrying five men accused of the gang rape and murder of an Indian student arrives at a court in New Delhi,Monday.
India gang-rape victim's father: Hang the 'monsters' responsible
Members of the bar association in Saket district, where the case is being heard, have vowed not to represent them. Ahead of Monday's court appearance, the five were still believed to be without defense lawyers despite extensive interrogations by the police, who have said they have recorded confessions.
Supreme Court lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma stood up to offer representation to the men and was booed by other lawyers in the packed courtroom, where media and advocates gathered before the men were due to appear.
Indian authorities have filed rape and murder charges against five men accused of the gang rape of a woman on a New Delhi bus. Government officials have promises new measures to protect women in the nation's capital and the crime has sparked protests and raised demands for tough new rape laws. ITN's Geraint Vincent reports.
Their lack of representation so far could give grounds for appeal later should they be found guilty. Similar cases have resulted in acquittals years after convictions.
"The accused has a right to a lawyer from point of arrest - the investigations are going on, statements being taken, it is totally illegal," said Colin Gonsalves, a senior Supreme Court advocate and director of Delhi's Human Rights Law Network.
Chemical castration?
A government panel is considering suggestions to make the death penalty mandatory for rape and introducing forms of chemical castration for the guilty. It is due to make its recommendations by Jan. 23.
Senior leaders of most Indian states on Friday came out in support of a plan to lower to 16 the age that minors can be tried as adults - in response to fury that the maximum penalty the accused youth could face is three years detention.
Courts are swamped with a backlog of cases in the country of 1.2 billion people and trials often take more than five years to complete, so the launch by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir of six fast-track courts in the capital to deal with sexual offences was widely greeted as a welcome move.
Protests continue in India demanding greater protection for women following the death of a gang-rape victim, the suspects are charged with murder. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
The case has taken sexual violence — a subject long hidden in the shadows of Indian society — and thrust it into the light.
For decades, women have had little choice but to walk away when groped in a crowded bus or train, or to simply cringe as someone tosses an obscene comment their way. Even if they haven't experienced explicit sexual abuse themselves, they live with the fear that it could happen to them or a loved one.
'Nobody helped us for an hour,' India rape witness says
Following the Dec. 16 attack, hundreds of thousands of Indians — both men and women — poured onto the streets of cities across the country, holding candlelight vigils and rallies demanding that authorities take tougher action to create a safe environment for women.
The harassment and violence faced daily by millions of Indian women is a deeply entrenched part of a culture that values men over women.
The mistreatment starts early — with sex-selective abortions and even female infanticides that have wildly skewed India's gender ratio. India's 2011 census showed that the country had 914 girls under age 6 for every 1,000 boys.
Hundreds of women marched in New Delhi to mourn the death of a 23-year-old rape victim while protesters in Mumbai raided a bar serving a drink called "Rapist." NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Indian movies and television shows routinely trivialize women. In the often suggestive songs and dances of Bollywood films, it's not unusual for the leading man and a gang of his buddies to chase a coyly reluctant actress, touching, pulling and throwing themselves on top of her.
On television, the most popular soap operas show the ideal Indian woman as meek, submissive and accepting of her traditional role inside the home.
'Everyone's issue'
Any discussion of sexual violence has so far been taboo. In the past, politicians have said that women should dress modestly and not stay out late to avoid rape and molestations.
Ranjana Kumari, director of the Center for Social Research and a longtime women's rights activist, said the fact that boys and men had joined the protests "gives us hope."
"Then it becomes everyone's issue, and not just a women's issue," she said.
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Leave a Comment:
It is very encouraging to see the men of India calling for change.
On one hand, lighter sentencing could mean death by injection as opposed to public hanging. On the other hand, life in prison may encourage witnesses in other rape cases.
If the are old enough to do such a heinous crime, they are old enough to face the adult consequences of the crime!
Apart from the societal attitude towards women, the painfully slow and utterly corrupt judiciary is a huge challenge. In spite of nearly universal furor over the case - I am very pessimistic that the dead girl will get any justice. Sorry to say this.
"India's 2011 census showed that the country had 914 girls (48%) under age 6 for every 1,000 boys (52%)."
Part of that is 'normal distribution' since there are typically more boy babies born than girl babies each year - for example, the U S 2010 Census showed there were about 51% 5-year old boys vs 49% 5-year old girls. The simple fact is that more boys than girls are born each year, even in the USA.
Interestingly, more young males also die than young girls, so that by about age 18, the proportion is about equal at 50%/50%. That's convenient, since that's about when they start getting 'paired up' or married.
Nature at work. The problem of selective (female) abortion in China is much worse because of their forced 'one child' policy and the traditional Chinese preference for a male child - resulting in a very disparate young population of excess males. Here's a link to the US census.
http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf
@Roy - unfortunately some of the Indian states have that % at 80% or so indicating that female fetuses are killed before being born. If we let nature rule at it then women % should be slightly over 50%.
Speaking of the process described by the articles about this case, I have to say, I am very impressed by the process, the ethical and moral behavior of the police and courts, and those that cry out against this. It does appear that this particular country is showing that they can and should lead the region (including much of the ME) to a better way of life...a more favorable one to children and their mothers, single woman, and girls.
I dont think it is a good idea for the other lawyers to shun one of their own for doing his job...even if it is not a wonderful position to be in...they should step back and let the process work like it should, I feel that their lack of tact and presentation could cause this case to become untried or dismissed due to too much interference. The lawyers need to understand they can be the process that puts these horrible men away for good.
Why would they not be hanged?? Hopefully their justice system works, unlike the USA where they set on death row for 25 yrs at OUR expense.
Give them their day in court, and prove that they did what is alleged. If the courts are too slow, make the courts move faster. And stop this plea bargaining nonsense. Low cast kids will be scape goated while high cast men will "plea bargain" their way out.
I realize that the people are angry now and want immediate results, but this sounds like a lynch
Mob to me. Did they even bother to make sure that they got all of the perpetrators?
Try them. get the whole story. This sounds like it was a planned systematic operation. There may be other victims, and other rapists that a trail, not a lynching would bring out.
I bet if these guys are just hung with out a trail, that nothing changes, and that crimes against low caste people just increases, and with it scape-goating.
Force the courts to do their jobs!
Without legal representation, all this uproar is moot. The men will win on appeal and be released. Perhaps it will eventually prompt legal reform at least, and begin to shift cultural attitudes towards women.
These so-called men need to be hanged. No mercy whatsoever.
When the victim was pleading for them to stop - and I'm sure she did - they continued their assault. Not only did they continue their assault with their penises, but with other objects, as well. Calling them animals is an insult to animals.
No mercy.
I find it interesting that an article on breast feeding rights has over 771 comments right now, and this one on a brutal rape only has 100. Shows what women, and people in general, really care about in America.
They need to get these guys lawyers. If no one represents them, they'll just get off eventually. You can get angry all you want, but if you dont go about this the right way, you will get no justice for the victim(s).
The fact that due legal process is taking place instead of a mob lynching shows the maturity of the society and people in general. Women face similar issues around the world, why haven't we had a woman president and why did women have to fight for the right to franchise? The numerous rape cases here don't create the kind response from the society that they deserve. We have to do a better job at home and also need to use any leverage we have to push for women and human rights in muslim and communist countries around the world. There are no less incidents of violence against women in the hollywood media, that needs to be addressed as well. We shouldn't be gGlorifying the hollywood image of women.
As far as these monsters of society go, they should be tried and given the maximum punishment. Publish their faces now so that they can be ridiculed and reviled by society as they deserve to be.
"It is very encouraging to see the men of India calling for change."
It's a start.
Afternoon chefaz!
"I find it interesting that an article on breast feeding rights has over 771 comments right now, and this one on a brutal rape only has 100. Shows what women, and people in general, really care about in America."
IKR?
I personallly, am avoiding that story. Ima scare-ed that they'll have a pic of a droopy teet w/a 3-year-old hanging off of it. (U know, like on the cover of-what was it?-Time magazine.)
The breast feeding story has more comments because of the subject matter and the fact that it happened in America.
This brutal rape happened in a foreign country, so people don't really care as much, since it's far away. If this happened in America, it would have logged more comments. Unless it involves football players...
Yeah, this is an Indian problem. There was a You Tube video of high school footballers bragging about raping a near dead classmate. They drugged her, took pics, rapped her. then took her to another party for more rapping. And now it appears there has been a city wide cover up because the rapists are football players.
They got lucky she's not dead. Unfortunately American prisons are packed with rapists and murders. If there were Olympics, we might not get the gold, but we'd get a medal.
And for giving these guys reduced sentences, do it, but maybe give them an extra month or two of life for every name they give up. There were way more than 5 guys and they need to be found and it doesn't sound like it's going to happen without some help.
And sorry, but if you commit a crime so heinous, you can't find a lawyer in all of India to represent you, there is no appeal. None of these guys will ever see the light of day, once the International Press gets involved, their fate was sealed. Any trial is now for show, but that's what happens when you commit a crime so foul, the entire world pays attention.
I would like to know about the bus driver, 2 1/2 hours is a long time to drive a bus around with a gang rape going on in the back.
The only deal for those scum bags should be if they will be hung by their balls until dead or if they should be cut into small pieces until bled to death.
Until they get legal representation, this case will be tossed out on appeal and they will be free in a year. Now, how long they live after that is up to speculation.
just bash their heads in with a ball bat !!
Just like they do here in the US, right?
Yes, lock them in a table similar to those the Japanese use for monkeys and give everyone a SMALL bat or hammer and let them take turns pecking away until their sculls are busted open and leaking gray matter. A hanging them would seem a much lighter sentence.
I see you are very emotional about this, I am too. But the thing is, if they dont think they did anything wrong, what is beating them going to do? They need to put pressure on exposing how young boys are being raised...what is their daily life like when no one is watching...I have a feeling, we will find the answer to what is severely wrong with the men in that part of the world. Something tells me some of these men suffered similar tragedies when they were small...or saw it happen
Changing a culture is a long process, simply make the punishment fit the crime and just maybe there would be alittle more thought before a crime is committed. Actions speak louder than words. I think anyone who takes someones life deserves nothing! We keep people on death row why???????????? Yet we are scoring lower in academics, our elderly suffer and the men and woman who fight for this country live at poverty level.....HMMMM makes perfect scence to me. What the hell are we thinking?
Oh, come on! Cut it out!
They know damn well they did something wrong! They hit her boyfriend over the head with a pipe, they raped her until she died, they threw her naked and bleeding onto the street.
Even in India, they had to know that wasn't right, so don't come across with that crap that they don't think they did anything wrong. If that's truly what a section of the population of males there think then we have no business being involved with such a country on any level because of human rights issues.
Feed them to the lions. Feed the whole country too the lions. Man will never change India...only nature can.
Man will also never change men here in the US, either. Clean up your own backyard before telling another country what to do.
You ever reached high school? WTF you are talking about?
Speaking of high school . . . perhaps jerseyshoremarie is referring to the Ohio high school football players who gang raped a 16-year-old girl over a period of hours. They dragged her by wrists and ankles from one location to another. In the end, they deposited her in her parents' driveway. Then they made a video laughing about it. Many in the town have rallied behind the young men because they don't want their football team injured. Is that really markedly different from the attitudes of the Indian men who raped that young woman? In that case, of course, the victim died. But is the mentality really any different? At least in India the general population has condemned the incident. Perhaps their football isn't as important.
Thank you SeniorSense for saying it. You are so right on. It is becoming all to common in the U.S.A. that this type of behavior is being swept under the rug. The college campus had been the long running abuse mill, now it is infiltrating high schools. There is not enough outrage. I am not prescribing to the all men are bad theory, but I will prescribe to the increasing statistics of sexual abuse of women as boys are not being taught to respect women and its getting worse. The right of passage of young adults to go out and party has always been going on, but the fact that all the onus of protecting one self and not being able to enjoy yourself without being sexually abuse is put soley on the girls. Well if she went out and got drunk, well then what happends after that is her problem. Are parents teaching their sons at all about their responsibility to keep their hands to themselves. I mean you had two boys being filmed and one boy filming it. How do these kids find each other, you would think statistically it would be imposable for two or three rapist to find each other, but no, it just goes to show that victimizing girls is becoming more common place.
SeniorSense
your words landed like a ton of bricks.
Good job for sharing that point of view..i didnt even know that happened.
SeniorSense - that's such an important case to point out. Steubenville's recent gang rape case brought out the worst. There were other teens from the high school tweeting terrible things against the woman raped. As you point out, at least the people of India are outraged enough to take to the streets. Here it's seemingly accepted as just another day and oh by the way....don't rock the boat please we have an important game coming up.
Don't forget the Duke Lacross rape case and how that turned out either. Each case needs to be judged on its' merits.
SeniorSense:
That is a good example. We have to fix the culture here as well. Apparently, according to this article and others I read India has a more widespread problem. Women in busses are sexual harassed all the time with no legal recourse. Now, it looks like that problem will be fixed.
“For decades, women have had little choice but to walk away
when groped in a crowded bus or train or to simply cringe as someone tosses an
obscene comment their way. Even if they haven't experienced explicit sexual
abuse themselves, they live with the fear that it could happen to them or a
loved one.”
“Any discussion of sexual violence has so far been taboo. In
the past, politicians have said that women should dress modestly and not stay
out late to avoid rape and molestations.”
Steubenville also has a corruption and culture problem our nation has to deal with. Lucky for us the laws are already in place. It appears that India needs to add laws to protect women and I think this crime will do it.
I dont know what box you women live in, but men are constantly told not to rape women. Constantly. We're told to be gentlemen when we're young, told never to hit a woman, hell, every student at UCLA had to sit through some 15 minute play on what constitutes rape. But the fact remains, some men always will. Thats why women are told to be safe. Most men wont rape you, and will actually help you if you are going to be raped, but there are always going to be rapists. Its like saying, we have to teach murderers not to murder. Oh really. You think they dont know they are not suppose to murder? This is why people take self defense, and carry weapons. Its not blaming the victim, its saying, hey there is a chance that a bad or crazy person is gunna try to harm you in some way, so stay safe. Its just that women have to be more safe from the evil because rape mostly affects women. Its not your fault if you get raped period, but you should try to be safe about it and make safe decisions, because no matter how often us men are told not to rape, some men always will. ALWAYS.
I have heard that this same problem of gropping women on streets and buses if very prominent in the streets of Miami or somewhere in Florida. I don't know to much about it but is there someone out there that can shed some light. Really sad if it's true.
cut thier balls off then hang them in a public square
Rapid charges, death penalty, and society's backing of the courts actions?
US - eat our hearts out!
Problem here with quick trials and swift execution is that sometimes the innocent might be executed. For more details Google Innocence Project.
Of course I also read postings here from "concerned citizens" that it's acceptable if a few innocent die too, as long as we execute all of the guilty ones. Just a cost of doing business.
As far as what happens in India, it's their country. They make the decisions there.
Sounds odd writing this, but "severed head" has great compassion.
Evening....Typical, rats leaving a sinking ship....Hope they hang them.
Hopefully the perpetrators will get to spend some time being raped and beaten in jail, before being put to death.
Any country that allows this type of demeanor of women and girls ought to hang their heads in shame. Bunch of cowards and barbarians and that goes for the U.S.A. too! The parents that allowed their sons to grow up thinking that this is the way women are treated ought to go for counseling as to why they do this. Time to come out of the dark ages already!!
I have worked with Indian people here in the US. They all come off like that they are better and smarter than everyone else.
This crime just shows how these people are raised. This does put a black mark on Indian people but that's fine, they deserve it.
They may not be better but they are generally smarter."like that they"?
Any sentence that starts with "they all" should be rethought.
Judsi, similar things happen like that in the US. Hell, from the sound of the culture in India many REPUBLICANS (let's start with Akin) would feel right at home there in how they look at and treat women. You know how women should be meek and follow men and not worth as much as men are. Hey, India has Christian values too it seems. (sarcasm for those who are impaired).
And we have heard all too often the same things come out of the mouths of christian republicans about how if women don't want to be raped they need to cover up. They think we should use the US version of the Arab Burka a dress that goes from the neck all the way down and covers the ankles. Showing any more is bad because it will inflame men to rape them.
Funny how it is ALWAYS the womens fault when they get raped because they wore clothing that caused men to rape them. I guess men are just too immature and uncivilized to control their baser instincts. So they have to blame women for the failings of men instead of the men themselves.
Actually, the Indian people aren't smarter, Cupake. They are just better educated. I never knew they acted like they are better than us. Their lack of hygiene makes them rather repulsive to me!
Sandy, huh??? What an inane statement! Making such a statement when very few Christians dress like that or even remotely think like that is just a BIT over the top!
Sandy, Todd Akin's phraseology was horrible, but he did not mean for it to come out the way it did. He has admitted that and has openly apologized for it. Have you, never in your whole life, made an awkward statement you would love to be able to take back?
Let the young woman's family decide the fate of these guys..........then make it the standard...........
Whatever they do to these animals should be done in public for everyone to see
I don't normally support capital punishment. But in this case I do.
India needs to set an example for this kind of crime. They also need to go on a major enforcement campaign. The number of sexual assaults is at epidemic levels. And its going to take a societal shift in thinking to change this behaviour. Its not seen as that big a deal by many men there. They have been taught that the shame is on the woman for getting caught. And she deserves it for being vulnerable. That's how warped their thinking is.
Simply telling them that "its wrong" wont work. The government needs to put the fear of extreme punishment into them. And it will still take a generation or two to change the culture.
What kind of "deal" did the perps give the woman, prior to raping her? No deal for them either......short rope, tall tree, garbage gone.
Animals
Hopefully the U.S. military will do something about their huge rape problem.
john...Give me a break; just what do you want them to do? While you are at it, just research how many women are subject to sexual misconduct by men at our great military academy of West Point.
I meant the U.S. military dealing with their OWN rape problem.
I hope nobody is suggesting that it's OK for U.S. military personnel to rape people in other countries.
I think that "life in prison" without parole is a viable option.
Perhaps for the 17 year old although I personally think he should die as well to send a message.
However the adults should face a much more gruesome punishment. Hang them like they did those who murdered the Cutler family in Kansas (research the movie 'In Cold Blood', a true story).
Put on a proper hanging, one where the perps dangle kicking and gagging at the end of a rope for several minutes before finally being pronounced dead.
In the Cutler murder case one of the perps hung for 15 minutes while the other dangled 22 minutes. THAT was a proper hanging.
Southern Gent, it was the "Clutter" family. (You were close. :-)
Now the rats are turning on one another. I suspect they'll be able to trade their evidence against their cohorts for a lighter sentence. Were I the prosecutor, and the case looked sufficiently strong, I'd say 'no deals', and move to fry the lot of them.
While severe punishment should be meted out to each one of these perps, the US shouldn't be too quick to crow about our own record when it comes to sexual violence. Rape is our country is still waaaaaay too high. How many women here are forced to have sex with their husbands? There's more than one form of coercion, and when children are involved, a woman may feel more compelled to give in to her husband's demands for the well-being of those kids, or just keeping a roof overhead. Date rape is still a huge problem; how often do we see headlines about a rape at a university? In our country, the mindset still pervades that a woman who sleeps with more than one partner is a slut, while a man who does the same thing is a stud. In my opinion, so long as any society feels one sex is more important than the other, and there are two sets of rules, sexual crime will continue.
No, a woman who sleeps with more than one man is a star - Kardashians, Madonna, Britney, Paris----Or, to quote Santa Claus: Ho, Ho, HO
I am in favor of public hangings. I would also like to see it here in the U S because I think it would put the fear in a lot of the wouldbe criminals. But it will never happen because the ACLU and all the other liberals would rather feed and house these basterds at the taxpayers expense.
If it was my daughter these things would be dead already......................
Now it turns out the rapists are cowards and the ring leaders are afraid of being hanged, so they want to help convict the others. The prosecution needs no help. All the rapists should be hanged as soon as they are found guilty. End of story. If India can show the world that rape is punishable by death, maybe the US and France (among other countries with similar 'soft on sex offenders' stances) can get their acts together.
Anyone need more reasons for the US to tighten its immigration standards? We got enough of this in NY, Detroit and Chicago - why do we need more?
But to the main subject: hang them all. Those who cooperate get to be hanged last.
Deal agreement? I would suggest only castration with a sharp or dull knife as the deal before they're hung.
jerseyshoremarie #3.1 - You are so right.
Death penalty... capital punishment for all except the younger... (17 yrs old.. if I have the age wrong then correct me) He should get life in prison and be used as a "spokesperson" , made to talk about it to peers, classes, women groups..etc. Most of the time younger "perps" are followers... part fear, part learn behavior. It is obvious that the society shape the action.. educate 1 and you use this to educate others... you start this "respect for women" initiatives" in schools and civics and you will see a marked change.... Save the Children... save the city... a nation.
The mindset in Asia is not going to change. Women are nothing but objects to own and barter with. This has gone on for thousands of years and will continue until the higher courts give harsher penalties; i.e. public executions such as hanging, beheading, stoning, etc. There must be swift justice, not years of appeals if it is a open and closed case. As an instructor in a higher eduction setting I have noticed that the Asian men have a low esteem for females and feel that they do not belong in the workplace. They are often caught cheating; not all, there are a few good students; by myself and other instructors. Being a private school, all the administration does it expel them for that semester and make them repeat that semester. Which means more $$$$'s in the schools bank account. They see no wrong in cheating. Remember about many years ago private flight schools did not question why Arab students were not concerned about all flight aspects of flying a large aircraft, just how to fly it once it was off the ground. If those private flight schools has looked into why and not just concerned with making $$$'s, possibly 9-11 would not have happened. The government needs to keep closer tabs on foreign students. If they drop out of school and the schools do not report the drop and the student is not made to give up their student visa. I have trouble from other foreign students but the Asians seem to be the worst offenders.