Three rapists sentenced to death

New Delhi – Three men convicted of two gang rapes in Mumbai were sentenced to death on Friday, the first under a new law that allows capital punishment for repeat offenders.

The Mumbai court had found Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali and Salim Ansari guilty under section 376 E of the penal code, which was introduced after the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi in December 2012.

The three Mumbai men were all previously given life in prison for two separate gang rapes, of a photojournalist and a telephone operator, in a deserted mill in 2013.

“For the first time in India, a court has given a stringent punishment for repeat rapists. It announced that the three will hang till death,” Special Public Prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam told reporters outside court.

The lawyers for the defendants were likely to appeal, a source said.

The Mumbai attacks sparked renewed public anger over women’s safety in India, after the 2012 New Delhi attack led to weeks of protests.

The government promised swifter prosecutions after the New Delhi gang rape, and laws against sexual violence were made stricter.

 

Three rapists sentenced to death

‘Rapists taking advantage of deaf girls in Ibadan’

Dr  Oyeduni Arulogun, a Senior  Lecturer  in  the Department of Health Promotion and Education, College of  Medicine, University of  Ibadan, on Monday said  rapists in Ibadan were taking  undue advantage of  deaf  girls.

Arulogun told  the News Agency of  Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that indication to  this development was revealed  by  her latest  research work  entitled: “Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Deaf girls: A  Case Study of Ibadan.’’

She said: “ Many of the rapists of these deaf girls are their stepfathers and other people well known to them.

“I discovered during my research that they experience sexual, physical and psychological violence just like anyone else.

“It is a worrisome situation because when they are sexually violated, they can’t complain.

“They don’t have the language to communicate and so most of the rape incidents go unreported to the security agents.

“The person that is supposed to help them out does not understand sign language which is a means of communication for the deaf.’’

Arulogun also said that her research  revealed that a number of deaf girl tested were found to be HIV  positive.

“It  was the first time  HIV/AIDS test was conducted for them and it was amazing that many of them were positive,” she said.

According to her, deaf girls are not usually predisposed to  disclosing information to health workers because there has  to be an intermediary between them to interpret.

“They have great concern about the confidentiality of the information  that they give.

“They also miss their appointments  at the clinic because they don’t hear when they are called,” Arulogun said.

The researcher said that concerted efforts should be made toward  giving deaf girls a sense of belonging as special needs persons.

She said that deliberate policies must  be formulated by  health providers to ensure that  some hospital workers understand sign language.

The don  called on security agencies to intensify efforts in the arrest and prosecution of rape victims.

Arulogun also urged journalists   to  assist to check the scourge  by sensitising the people on the incidence  of rape through  media tools. (0)

‘Rapists taking advantage of deaf girls in Ibadan’