Three Mumbai gang rape suspects convicted, eligible for capital punishment

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shakti-mills-journalist-rape-3-repeat-offenders-guilty-under-sec-376e/462255-3-237.html

This is the first high-profile case under the new law ("376E&quot that was passed after the 2012 Delhi "Nirbhaya" gang rape. (By Indian law, the names of victims of sex crimes are not made public, "Nirbhaya" -- "fearless" -- was the pseudonym activists gave her after she died.) Although the adult attackers in the Nirbhaya case have been sentenced to death (the two juveniles can only be held until they are 20), due to some outdated legal language they could not actually be charged with rape. This and some other loopholes have been closed, and procedural issues have been fixed (victims can now choose to make their statements at home rather than the police station; women are assigned a female police detail for the statement; rape of men has been recognized as illegal; and several other updates of a law that was written during Queen Victoria's reign).

The Shakti Mills assault happened in Mumbai last year (right after I moved here, and about 100 meters from my apartment, in fact...) Up until then, Mumbaikars had mostly thought "that's just Delhi and Bangalore; it wouldn't happen here". It was particularly frightening because the gang had assaulted several other women before they attacked the photojournalist; she just had the social and family support to report it (an incredibly brave lower-class woman has since also come forward to accuse the same gang; they have already received life sentences for her attack -- it was before 376E went into effect so they were not eligible for the death penalty in that case).

So, not anywhere close to where we need to be, yet, but taking some important steps forward...