Government
The laws relating to rape and sexual assault are set to undergo a radical overhaul with the Union Home Ministry readying a draft Bill on the subject. Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s remarks suggest that the proposed legislation is likely to be based on the Law Commission of India’s 172nd report, which called for a thoroughgoing review of our rape laws.
The 2000 report was prepared following a direction from the Supreme Court that loopholes in the law relating to rape and sexual assault should be identified with a view to plugging them. At least two major changes seem to be on the anvil. First, the meaning of rape, which Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code construes as non-consensual sexual intercourse, will be broadened to cover other forms of penetrative acts that fall outside the purview of the existing definition. The Law Commission, the National Commission for Women, and various feminist
organisations have supported such a widening of the definition of rape on the ground that the existing legal provisions neither reflect nor deal adequately with the various kinds of sexual assault women are subjected to in India.
The restrictive interpretation of the term ‘penetration’ in the Explanation to Section 375 fails to address the myriad ways victims of sexual crime can be humiliated — physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Rape, as feminists have argued, must be understood as an experience of brutal violation and degradation and not just the act of penetration.
3 Comments
This should have happened way back but it’s a welcome step today even. Among other atrocities which our Indian girls have to go through, this thing really leave them no-where. But this reform will be as effective as it’s implementation.
THIS IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD IN PROTECTING OUR WOMEN FROM THIS ATROCITY WHICH EVEN DOES HAVE SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL REPURCUSSIONS. COURT SHOULD TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT THE SEVERE TRAUMA WHICH THE WOMEN UNDERGOES THEREAFTER IN HER LIFE.
But if the women widow or divorcee and has a child and come in contact with a guy who is younger to her and guy knowing all the facts about the women and still wants to marry her and promises her for marriage but after using her he deny and the women get the case register against him for rape then what do you have to say rape victim goes through mental trauma the most then the accused guy but what is her future she fights for justice and is harassed the most and trial goes for long years what is her future she is loosing her age and time then she has to look after her child I mean don’t you think her future is almost finished in wait of justice her child gets married and settles a life with her or his partner and the victim women is left alone where is her future as she gets old who will marry her Don’t you think these kind of cases should get over asap.so that she gets the justice which women who is a mother will like to go and stand in court room and get insulted and listen to false words which is used by the accused supporter when she know she has to settle her child in coming years her life is just destroyed for future as well don’t u think she deserves to get good settled life. So law should think about this kind of cases quick result.