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| Death penalty only solution to check rapes of children | | | | Since various Indian states face the problem of rape of minors a debate has surfaced between those demanding death penalty for rapists of children and those who do not feel that capital punishment is the right answer for the problem. The Union Cabinet has okayed the move to award death penalty to rapists who rape girls below 12 years..Well the BJP led NDA Government is also engaged in the amendment of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act of 2012. Once the Act is amended it would mean capital punishment for those who rape children and later kill them. In fact if the Central Government has agreed to amend the POSCO Act it means that various sections of people have raised their voices against rape and murder of eight year old Asifa in Kathua and other rapes which are similar to the Kathua incident. The BJP led NDA Government has told the Supreme Court that it was willing to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012, to provide for death penalty for those convicted of raping children.During hearing of a PIL filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava seeking justice for an eight-month-old rape victim, Additional Solicitor General PS Narasimha told a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra that the Ministry of Women and Child Development was actively considering amending the POSCO Act. Petitioner Srivastava has demanded death penalty for men convicted of raping minors. The issues raised in the petition regarding amendment of provisions of the POCSO Act, 2012, so as to provide maximum punishment of "Death Penalty" for commission of offences of rape of children of 0-12 years of age group is under active consideration of the Ministry," said the Ministry's Deputy Secretary Anand Prakash in a letter to the ASG.The Ministry is proposing to amend POCSOAct, 2012 for introducing "Death Penalty" for the abuser in the cases of aggravated assault against children, read the letter made public in the court.The change in the government's stand comes amid nationwide agitation over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir that has attracted national and international media attention.Earlier, the Centre had on February 1 told the Supreme Court that it was against death penalty for those guilty of raping minors.Death penalty is not an answer to everything, ASG Narasimha had said after the petitioner had demanded capital punishment for those raping children. Srivastava had approached the top court after the rape of an eight-month-old girl allegedly by her 28-year-old cousin on January 28 in north-west Delhi. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act provides for graded punishment for offenders depending upon brutality of the crime, the ASG had told the top court.The Bench will take up the matter on April 27.The widespread rapes have sprung after the Nirbhaya episode and had those who raped Nirbhaya been faced capital punishment things would have not touched the bottom.In fact the situation on rapes have created a fear psychosis among parents and teenagers and the Government should initiate measures for ending the saga od misery to children.Well death penalty is not an answer to such crimes but believe it or not if the criminal involved in rape of minor children is on death sentence the message will act as a damper for those who indulge in rapes.And the Government is supposed to make a beginning because the entire and law and order machinery has not been able to tackle the crime and it is time for the court to accept the PIL of Srivastava.And if the Apex Court accepts the PIL the central Government would goad the Ministry of Child and Women protection to come up with the amendment of POSCO which could prove permanent relief to the problem. |
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