-The Hindu The old Penal Code exempts it as an offence if a wife is not under 16 Opposing the death penalty for those guilty of rape, women’s groups have demanded that marital rape, stalking and stripping be regarded as serious offences. The old Penal Code and the proposed amendments exempt marital rape as an offence if a wife is not under 16 years of age. This exemption, totally and unreasonably, ignores the...
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Centre’s nod to replace word ‘rape’ with ‘sexual assault’-Bindu Shajan Perappadan
-The Hindu The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to replace the word “rape” with the phrase “sexual assault”, making it a gender-neutral offence and identified acid attacks as a separate offence punishable by a maximum of ten years. Union Minister for Women & Child Development (WCD) Krishna Tirath confirmed that the Cabinet had given the go-ahead to the draft proposal. “Besides the two proposals that have been accepted, it has...
More »Blind to realities-TK Rajalakshmi
The proposed criminalisation of consensual sex between youngsters in the 16-18 age group is seen as regressive and in denial of social realities. THE minimum age for consensual sex has been raised from 16 to 18 in the amended Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011, recently approved by the Union Cabinet. If approved by Parliament, this will make sexual activity with a person below 18 a criminal offence,...
More »Regressive clause clashes with IPC rape laws-Manoj Mitta
If the Bill seeking to protect children from sexual offences is passed by Parliament in the form in which it was cleared last week by the Cabinet, then there will be a direct but unstated conflict between the general and special laws on rape. Under the special law proposed in the freshly revised "Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Bill" , no person below 18 years will have the legal capability...
More »Government plans to make rape law gender neutral by Himanshi Dhawan
The government has proposed that the offence of rape be made "gender neutral" by amending the law so that sexual assault on men can also be proceeded against under the same statute. It also plans to make specific laws on stalking and acid attacks on women. The change in the rape law is being drafted by the ministry of women and child development (WCD) as part of the criminal law (amendment)...
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