More on the warped mindsets of judges

On my blog I have dealt with the warped mindsets of judges in India and other countries while dealing with cases of crime against women. However, I was very happy to note a two–member bench of the Delhi High Court actually expunging two remarks by a judge of a fast track court who had made "gender biased" and "insensitive" comments about women. The Delhi High Court stated that such comments should not be made. Referring to the judge's comment that women in the age group of 19-24 years voluntarily elope with their lovers, the bench said the remark is "not based on any empirical data". To read further, log on to the Times of India report. Meanwhile, we have a bizarre judgment. This one comes from the United States of America. A US court actually gave a rapist parental rights over the child born of that rape! With the order, a young girl who was 14 when she was raped and became pregnant, becomes bound to the man she wants nothing to do with. The plaintiff and her mother repeatedly informed state officials that they wanted no contact with the man for any purpose and that they did not want the child born of the crime to have a relationship with him. But their pleas were ignored. Patriarchal mindsets completely negate the feelings of the woman and the crime done to her! To read about the case log on to - http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/raped-and-impregnated-14-girl-must-now-share-parental-rights-her-attacker . Shannon Argueta from the US discusses rape culture and weird judgments at: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/28/rapist-to-serve-30-day-sentence-after-judge-blames-deceased-teenage-victim/ This is what she says: "This is an unbelievable example of rape culture in this country. This judge is blaming a child for her own rape. When did it become the victim’s fault? When did the law stop expecting rapists to control themselves? This man raped that child; Sexual intercourse without consent is rape! The judge convicted him of rape and then said that the victim was just as much in control of the situation as the perpetrator? I would laugh at the logic if I weren’t so disgusted. Children CANNOT consent to sex! That is why we have laws that are supposed to protect them and acknowledge that they are not mature enough to make that sort of decision. It doesn’t matter if a 14-year-old looks like she is 34. It doesn’t matter if she is mature for her age; A 14-year-old is still a child." In India judges have actually condoned the rape of babies! Yes, you read it right. Here is the link to some shocking judgments and pronouncements by our judges:http://shreevenkatram.blogspot.in/2010/03/shame-six-month-old-baby-girl-raped.html http://shreevenkatram.blogspot.in/2011/09/my-article-on-recent-judgments-on-rape.html http://shreevenkatram.blogspot.in/2012/01/rape-molestation-and-judgement.html http://shreevenkatram.blogspot.in/2012/02/justice-dispensers-who-will-make-them.html

Take acid attacks seriously - they are worse than murder

I was very dismayed to read Annu Mukherjee's story in the Hindustan Times today. The young woman had surmounted many hurdles to make a decent life for herself and her brother. The acid attackers not only snatched away her means to a livelihood, disfigured and blinded her, but threw her into facing a lonely tragic life. Her brother, who she was was supporting had to stop his studies.  What was extremely heart wrenching was that the attackers also took away Annu's ability to cry. Her eyes have been so disfigured that tears do not come anymore.

And  what was the punishment the attackers got? Five years in jail and a Rs 1,60,000 fine. Today they are roaming free. An inadequate punishment for disfiguring a woman for life, blinding her, snatching away her identity and only source of income, leaving her to a life of penury and loneliness.

The attackers should have been behind bars for life. For they are extremely dangerous to be let out in society. Now that they have been freed, they should be made to contribute towards her medical and living expenses. Fifty per cent of what Meena Khan and her brother earn should go to Annu till she is in a position to support herself by opening the dance school she wants. What do you say?

Earlier post: An acid attack is wrose than murder for it makes life a living hell

And this news item  -

SC curbs acid sale, orders more money for victims

Please sign the petition -- Justice for Preeti Rathi

The life of Preeti Rathi, a young vivacious girl who was on the verge of starting a career as a nurse, was cut short by a  man who threw acid on her in Mumbai. She was injured so severely that she passed away after fighting a  month-long battle.

Preeti Rathi's father, Amar Singh Rathi,  is making an appeal that you sign the petition demanding an a CBI enquiry into who threw the acid on his daughter.  In his petition he says: " I demand justice for my daughter who suffered so much because of this criminal. After my daughter passed away, I met the home minister of Maharashtra, R.R.Patil, and demanded a CBI enquiry. He promised an enquiry but I have not been provided with any time frame for it. The enquiry has not even started yet.

With every passing day, the chance of nabbing the culprit is getting bleaker. I have started this petition to ensure that the Home Minister keeps his promise and the enquiry is started as soon as possible."

The rising number of acid attacks on young girls is a very worrying trend. Unfortunately, the punishment so far meted out to such criminals hardly matches the severity of the life-long damage they inflict on the women.

An acid attack is worse than murder for it makes life a living hell

This was one of those posts that I began and then gave up midway. It was lying as a 'draft' for months. And for the past few days, ever since Preeti Rathi's case made the headlines,  I have been thinking a lot on the subject of acid attacks.

Acid attacks is one of the most barbaric crimes. In India, the perpetrators are usually men who cannot take ‘no’ for an answer and so seek to destroy the woman. The crime is so horrific that the woman is disfigured for life. She loses her identity, her future and with it the will to live. Everything is destroyed and some victims have described the attack apart from the searing pain, physical torture and disfigurement, as something worse than death.

Every other day we hear of an acid attack on a young woman. Delhi alone saw 56 acid attacks over a span of three months.

The recent amendments to the law give ten years to a maximum of life imprisonment to the criminal for destroying another human being. The punishment should be for life, nothing less! There shouldn't be bail for such a horrific crime. A person who can willfully destroy another human being in this fashion, is very dangerous to have around and should be behind bars.

Even though the Justice Verma committee had recommended life imprisonment for the culprits, our law makers reduced it to ten years of imprisonment and some fine. The new law has nothing on the rehabilitation of the victim, who needs to spend on reconstructive surgery, usually falls into depression, and finds it hard to get employment and carry on a normal life. Till date, there has been no effort to curb the sale of the corrosive acid which is very easy to procure and available in every market.

Why is there such leniency towards the culprits? All I can say is that our law makers have failed to feel the pain and the horror of an acid attack and what it can do to a woman. They have done nothing for her rehabilitation.

Recent cases of acid attacks
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/UttarPradesh/Acid-attack-on-4-sisters-in-UP-one-risks-losing-sight/Article1-1036574.aspx

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/vinodhini-karaikal-acid-attack-victim-dies/article4406780.ece

The new law does not help victims
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Acid-attacks-New-law-hikes-punishment-but-doesn-t-help-victims/Article1-1038797.aspx

And this - Acid attacks in Italy - http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/05/13/acid-attacks-against-women-on-the-rise-in-italy.html

Death penalty for killing a male child, life imprisonment for raping minor daughter and killing her and wife

The Supreme Court of India through a judgment has shown that it places more 'value' on a male child than a female child and a woman.

The following report appeared in the Times of India today:

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered death penalty to a man who murdered a seven-year-old boy after kidnapping him for ransom, justifying the capital punishment on several grounds, including that killing the sole male child meant that the family lineage could not be carried forward.


Citing disruption of family lineage as one of the seven aggravating grounds why they thought the convict deserved no leniency, a bench of Justices P Sathasivam and J S Khehar said, "The choice of kidnapping the particular child for ransom was well planned and consciously motivated. The parents of the deceased had four children — three daughters and one son. Kidnapping the only male child was to induce maximum fear in the mind of his parents. Purposefully killing the sole male child has grave repercussions for the parents of the deceased."

The bench continued, "Agony for parents for the loss of their male child, who would have carried further the family lineage, and is expected to see them through their old age, is unfathomable. Extreme misery caused to the aggrieved party certainly adds to the aggravating circumstances."   For the complete report click on this link.

Barely a week ago, the Supreme Court had commuted death penalty awarded to a man for raping his minor daughter and then killing her and his wife.  Both the trial court and the high court had awarded death to the man.  But the Supreme Court lessened his punishment to life and went further, leaving it open for remission.  (I had posted on this) 

When educated learned judges of the highest court of the land place more value on a male life than that of the female, then we cannot expect ordinary families to treat their girls on par with their sons. So one thing is certain: It will be quite a while before things change for the Indian girl.