India Rape Law Cracks Down On Sex Crimes
An India rape law will be cracking down on sex crimes in the Middle Eastern country.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, reports of India gang rapes have been in the news lately. One of the India rape suspects committed suicide. A Swiss tourist was gang raped in India while on vacation. Just the other day, a tourist in India jumped out of a hotel window to avoid being gang raped.
The new India rape law sets the age of sexual consent at 18, while some wanted the age to be 16. The new India rape law is wide ranging, including new provisions on stalking, voyeurism, acid attacks and forcibly disrobing a woman. These explicit actions were made crimes for the first time in India.
Gang rape in India now is punishable by a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, up from 10 years. Even rapes committed by police officers are given special attention. Capital punishment is the worst penalty reserved for rapes leading to death of the victim.
India Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde says, “We have tried to bring in a strong law, which is pro-women and will act as a deterrent.” The new India rape law is wide reaching but still doesn’t address marital rape, rape committed by the armed forces, or rape against men.
Critics of the new India rape law point out that Indian parents may abuse the new laws when boys have consensual sex with the parents’ daughters against the parents’ wishes. Already, some parents will file rape and kidnapping charges against young men who are acting against the parents’ arranged marriages.
Attorney Nandita Rao explains how the new India rape law might affect such circumstances: “All these so-called traditional-value people have no problem when children are forced into marriage by their parents. But they want to criminalize consensual sex. It’s hypocritical.”
The new India rape law will take effect after the Indian president signs off on it, replacing an older anti-rape ordinance that is set to expire on April 4.
What do you think about the India rape law?
