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The first verdict of the horrific Delhi gang rape is expected to be delivered today by a juvenile court. The horrific incident sparked a nationwide outrage and helped overhaul the archaic laws to deal with sex crimes, the remnants of our long colonial rule. The case of juvenile was particularly shocking as he was one of the most brutal of the rapists and allegedly pulled out the girl s intestines with his bare hands. The maximum sentence a juvenile can face is three years in a reform centre.
Understandably, the public reaction has been one of shock but SC ruled that there was no question of reducing the juvenile age. The reason behind this is that the age of juvenile in India is set at 18 years by the Juvenile Justice Act of 2000 to conform to the United Nation s Convention on the Rights of the Child. This would mean that all juvenile offences would be tried by the Juvenile Justice Board and not the regular courts. This is done because juvenile criminals were often treated as harshly as adults and would turn into hardened criminals. This act looked to end child labour, reform marriageable age and improve the lives of children throughout the country. The act was passed only after consulting psychologists, legal experts and others but it seems that it has failed us badly. The law left many loopholes which would be exploited time and again. (Is it time to change our juvenile laws?)
While the SC has considered a PIL where the plea is to grant discretionary powers to trial judges to transfer a minor s case to regular courts after considering the nature of the crime, civil and child rights activists warn of repercussions if the law is modified. Sending to prison minors who commit crimes because of the circumstances they grow up in would only turn them into hardened criminal, Flavia Agnes of Majlis told TOI. It is no solution to reduce crimes against women. We must examine the issue dispassionately and be kinder as a society and considerate towards children.
Delhi Gang Rape Timeline
Dec 16: A 23-year-old physiotherapy student is brutally raped in a bus in Delhi. Victim admitted to Safdarjung Hospital by the police.
Dec 17: Bus driver Ram Singh and two others arrested.
Dec 18: Public sentiment boils over leading to huge demonstrations as protesters clash with police at various places. Fourth accused arrested.
Dec 19: Doctors treating the girl comment about her unstable condition though she manages to communicate with docs by writing.
Dec 20: Students of various universities protest outside CM Sheila Dixit s residence
Dec 21: The fifth accused, a juvenile is arrested and one of the culprits is identified by the victim s male friend in Tihar. Delhi Police starts search operation in Haryana and Bihar for another accused. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital chairman offers victim free intestinal transplant, an offer which is considered a publicity stunt by many since the victim s not stable enough for one
Dec 23: Delhi High Court sets up fast track court
Dec 24: PM Manmohan Singh requests people to keep calm and suffers a major faux paus as he s heard off-camera asking people Thik Hai?
Dec 26: Government decides to fly victim to Singapore for further treatment which raises questions about whether she would survive the journey and why she wasn t taken to a better facility in Delhi like AIIMS which is just around the corner.
Dec 27: She s airlifted to Singapore
Dec 29: She succumbs to her injuries at 4:45 AM
Dec 30: Her body is flown back to Delhi
Jan 1: Special task-force to deal with women s safety in Delhi icreated
Jan 3: A case of rape, murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and attempted murder on the male victim is filed against all the five accused in the case.
Jan 5: Her friend gives an interview to Zee News which documents their ordeal including public and police apathy to their plight
Jan 9: The accused demand legal representation; lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma fights their case
Jan 10: Sharma declares victims were responsible for their predicament.
Jan 28: The Juvenile Justice Board declares that one of the six accused is a minor despite no strong evidence to suggest it. Age-testing is ruled out.
Feb 3: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013, with suggestions from the Verma Committee Report introduced.
Feb 5: The trial starts
March 11: The main accused, Ram Singh is found hanging in his jail cell that he shared with two other accused.
April 4: One of the accused claims Tihar guards harassing him
April 11: Vinay s counsel claims two of the accused were not present on the bus
May 1: Defence harasses male friend by claiming he s a womaniser
May 10: Vinay and Akshay s advocate AP Singh asks for male friend to undergo polygraph test
June 4: Juvenile accused turns 18 according to school certificate
July 11: Juvenile board defers judgement till July 25 to decide whether to try the minor in the case as an adult or a minor.
July 18: Supreme Court refuses to reduce the juvenile age to 16
August 31: Juvenile Justice Board to announce its verdict today