Activists welcome anti-rape law
New Delhi, Mar 14 (IBNS): Activist groups welcomed the passing of the anti-rape law draft by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, adding that a lot remained to be done to curb crimes against women.
Aiming to provide tough punishment for crimes against women, the Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill with recommendations made by the Group of Ministers (GoM).
Political leaders will now discuss the bill during the upcoming all-party meet on Mar 18.
Reacting to the move, Ruchira Gupta, founder of nongovernmental organisation Apne Aap said, “It is a step in the right direction. It is a big Step for women’s movement."
"But there is a lot that needs to be done especially around strict liability for rapists where their lack of knowledge of age of victims should not be a defence," she said.
"Many rapists in brothels escape by pleading that they are unaware that the female is a child. Strict liability will ensure that this does not happen and the terrorized girl is not forced to prove her age in court," she added
"We also need urgent police reforms to even implement the law at all," Gupta said.
The anti-rape bill proposes to reduce the age of consent from 18 years to 16 years.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) working on a draft of an anti-rape bill on Wednesday finally agreed on the handful of contentious provisions that have been stalling the law.
Meeting under a 24-hour deadline on Wednesday, the panel, headed by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram agreed to reduce the age of consent for sex from 18 to 16.
Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar earlier said that he was confident that the proposed anti-rape Bill will be tabled in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
The consensus on the law was finally reached after the GoM, including Chidambaram, Kumar, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, met on Wednesday.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday had deferred the anti-rape law bill for the second time in six days after differences on the key provisions of the bill emerged during its meeting on the issue.
Flaying the law enforcers and calling for police reforms, the Justice Verma Committee tasked by the government to suggest stringent laws against sexual violence submitted its "path-breaking" recommendations on Jan 23 to the Home Ministry, calling for enhancement of punishment to life sentence for the crime while stopping short of awarding death penalty.
The three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J S Verma submitted its report to the government a month after it was formed following a national outrage over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old medical student on a Delhi bus on Dec 16 and her subsequent death from injuries.
New Delhi, Mar 14 (IBNS): Activist groups welcomed the passing of the anti-rape law draft by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, adding that a lot remained to be done to curb crimes against women. Aiming to provide tough punishment for crimes against women, the Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the...
New Delhi, Mar 14 (IBNS): Activist groups welcomed the passing of the anti-rape law draft by the Union Cabinet on Thursday, adding that a lot remained to be done to curb crimes against women.
Aiming to provide tough punishment for crimes against women, the Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill with recommendations made by the Group of Ministers (GoM).
Political leaders will now discuss the bill during the upcoming all-party meet on Mar 18.
Reacting to the move, Ruchira Gupta, founder of nongovernmental organisation Apne Aap said, “It is a step in the right direction. It is a big Step for women’s movement."
"But there is a lot that needs to be done especially around strict liability for rapists where their lack of knowledge of age of victims should not be a defence," she said.
"Many rapists in brothels escape by pleading that they are unaware that the female is a child. Strict liability will ensure that this does not happen and the terrorized girl is not forced to prove her age in court," she added
"We also need urgent police reforms to even implement the law at all," Gupta said.
The anti-rape bill proposes to reduce the age of consent from 18 years to 16 years.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) working on a draft of an anti-rape bill on Wednesday finally agreed on the handful of contentious provisions that have been stalling the law.
Meeting under a 24-hour deadline on Wednesday, the panel, headed by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram agreed to reduce the age of consent for sex from 18 to 16.
Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar earlier said that he was confident that the proposed anti-rape Bill will be tabled in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
The consensus on the law was finally reached after the GoM, including Chidambaram, Kumar, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, met on Wednesday.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday had deferred the anti-rape law bill for the second time in six days after differences on the key provisions of the bill emerged during its meeting on the issue.
Flaying the law enforcers and calling for police reforms, the Justice Verma Committee tasked by the government to suggest stringent laws against sexual violence submitted its "path-breaking" recommendations on Jan 23 to the Home Ministry, calling for enhancement of punishment to life sentence for the crime while stopping short of awarding death penalty.
The three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J S Verma submitted its report to the government a month after it was formed following a national outrage over the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old medical student on a Delhi bus on Dec 16 and her subsequent death from injuries.
Leave a Comment