-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...

-The Hindu A former Indian Police Service official, Amod Kanth, has been organising interface sessions between senior Delhi Police officers and juvenile delinquents as part of a reform programme that among other things aims at drawing the two sides together. His non-government organisation ‘Prayas’ is currently organising programmes for 100 juveniles to help the State understand the motive behind crimes and to curb their recurrence. “The programme has 25 per cent juveniles...

-The Hindustan Times Rapes by juveniles have increased fivefold in a decade since 2000, when its definition was modified to include children of 16 to 18 years under the category. The year 2011 recorded 1,149 rapes by juveniles — most of them between 16-18 years. In 2000, the number was just 198. As per the modified Juvenile Justice Act, the maximum punishment for a crime committed by a juvenile is three years — as...

-The Hindu Rival religious extremists survive by feeding off each other. In India, Hindutva and Islamist leaders and activists have often mobilised men and materials through inflammatory hate speeches. But by any yardstick, the recent rabble-rousing speech of Akbaruddin Owaisi, leader of the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, plumbs new depths. In substance, his speech was a clear attempt to promote enmity between Hindus and Muslims, and disrupt the...

-The Indian Express The rape victim’s family defies those who view the crime in terms of shame. It’s a moment to build on Congressman and Union minister Shashi Tharoor created a ripple when he suggested that the upcoming law on sexual assault be named after the young woman whose example has so radically jolted society. Now, her family, pursued by mediapersons on this matter, has said it would be an honour if...