Delhi gangrape: Need effective law to protect women, says Chidambaram

will it really deter ?

KS Raghunathan | Monday , 4 Feb '13 22:21:13 PMReply | Forward Mr Chidambaram say, the ordinance would deter criminals. Most rapists such as those in the Delhi Gang-rape case are uneducated and would not have any clue about the ordinance. Its enactment would hopefully deter "potential rapists" amongst the educated.

Mr

Rasik | Monday , 4 Feb '13 21:54:50 PMReply | Forward While certainly the Judges would apply their mind and hand a suitable judgement in this most Heinous of Crimes it is hoped a particular sentence by a Police Officer is taken into account who states something close to this - One of the Rapists got very angry and lost control when the Victim bit him - For this a extra 10 years in the overall sentencing should be handed out as this "Getting angry" is made out to be a divine right or what a Freedom fighter feels when his country is attacked - This observation obliquely or tangentially is referred by many as a support to the Perpetrator of the Crime as MAY BE THE VICTIM should have submitted-

Stricter laws? - more important to have true justice

Sam | Monday , 4 Feb '13 19:09:51 PMReply | Forward we keep talking of stricter punishment by having more draconian laws. The problem with having stricter laws is that there should be adequate controls that the laws are applied correctly. No One seems to be bothered about that. Mob justice or justice by popular will is not what India should be headed to. We dont want officially sanctioned lynchings just because a group of people want it ! Let me make it very clear. I'm all for punishing the guilty, my point here is that laws have to be implemented fairly. Even the existing laws are misused all the time. The system is easily corrupted by money and other considerations. A law allowing for draconian punishment can, in the wrong hands lead to travesties of justice.

Implementation is the key issue

Abhimanyu | Monday , 4 Feb '13 17:34:27 PMReply | Forward Changing the law, increasing the number of years someone is imprisoned is all well and good but the key issue here is implementation of the law and the safety women need to even report the crime. There is a law on paper, it may not be severe, but it exists. What makes it ineffectual is the fact that more than half the sexual assaults go unreported - women don't want to deal with the cops or the court. Socially too, women are held to tougher standards than men. As a society, as law makers and as a people we have to address these issues, and not simply make more laws for the books.

More punishment is not necessarily a solution

Sadash | Monday , 4 Feb '13 17:10:03 PMReply | Forward The problem with increasing punishment is at best a short sighted approach to the problem of rape and crime against women. What is more essential is to work out ways to sensitize men in India to respect and understand women's rights. At the same time even women themselves need to change their attitudes towards the girl-child. After all every adult male, has been a child. In many families the male child is given precedence and this does encourage chauvinistic attitudes towards women later. Free seminars/consultations in villages, in semi urban areas and even metros need to be implemented for this purpose keeping long term perspectives in mind. Unfortunately very little work is being done in this direction.