A 13-day ordeal that changed the course of anti-rape laws

The 13 days between a young paramedic’s brutal rape and her death in a Singapore hospital, redefined the way India looked at sexual offences against women.

An immediate outrage broke out, driving hordes of young and old people out of their homes into the winter cold, hours after the gory incident on December 16, 2012. Six youths had gang-raped the victim and attacked her friend in a moving bus in south Delhi, before throwing them out and trying to run over them.

The 23-year-old paramedic and her male friend were returning home after watching a movie when they faced the brutal attack. The protests, following the publication of gory details of the sexual assault, shook the corridors of power in Delhi that led to initiation of changes in the anti-rape laws.

Verma commission

With the conscience of the nation shaken, the government appointed a commission under former Chief Justice of India J S Verma to suggest stronger laws to deal with sexual assault. It came up with stringent provisions for dealing with the crime though the commission was not in favour of death penalty for sexual assault.

The incident led to the government strengthening anti-rape laws, providing for death penalty for sexual assault. The law relating to juvenile justice was also reviewed to enable law enforcement agencies to put minors in the age group of 16-18 years on trial under the  Indian Penal Code.

The change in Juvenile Justice Act was expedited by the release of a minor involved in the crime, after three years. This enraged the victim’s family and several others, though child rights activists warned against lowering upper age limit of juveniles from 18 to 16 years.

Within days of the incident, police had arrested five youths and detained a minor involved in the incident. The victim, who was undergoing treatment in a Delhi hospital, was sent to Singapore for specialised care but died on December 29, 2012, only after consistently providing information to investigators. The Supreme Court, in its judgement, acknowledged her statements to the police.One of the convicts, Ram Singh, committed suicide in Tihar jail.