New Delhi, April 22:  A day after the Centre gave its nod to an ordinance to amend the existing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, Asha Devi, mother of 2012 Delhi gangrape victim said for rape victims under 12, it is a good step, but questioned about the ones who are older. "Yes for minors under 12 (rape victims) it is a good step, but what about ones who are older? There is no more heinous crime than rape, there is no larger pain.Every rapist should be hanged", Asha Devi was quoted by ANI.

The Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to amend the existing  POCSO Act, allowing courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping minors. The Ordinance provides for stringent punishment for rape of girls under 12, with a minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life and the maximum of death. In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, the minimum punishment will be imprisonment for the “rest of life” and the maximum, death sentence.

The proposed Ordinance also extends the maximum punishment for rape of a child between 12 and 16 years from 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in prison to 20 years, “extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that person’s natural life”. The punishment for gangrape of a girl between 12 and 16 years of age will invite punishment of imprisonment for the “rest of life of the convict”, according to the proposed Ordinance.

For the offence of rape, of those above 16, minimum punishment has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, “extendable to life imprisonment”.  It must be noted that the proposed Ordinance also makes it difficult for those accused of raping or gangraping a child under 16 to obtain bail, removing the provision for anticipatory bail for such a person. “It has also been provided that court has to give a notice of 15 days to the public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age,” the government said in a statement.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2018 10:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).