INDIA'S top court today (5) upheld death sentences against four men who fatally gang raped a woman on board a bus in 2012, a crime that sparked widespread protests and drew international attention to violence against women.
"It's a barbaric crime and it has shaken the society's conscience," Justice R Banumathi told a packed courtroom as the three-judge Supreme Court panel threw out an appeal on behalf of the defendants.
The five men and a juvenile lured the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist and her male friend on to a minibus in New Delhi on Dec. 16, 2012, repeatedly raping the woman and beating both with a metal bar before dumping them on a road.
The woman died of grave internal injuries two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.
Applause broke out in court among relatives of the victim - whose identity is protected by law - as judges explained that the crime met the "rarest of the rare" standard to justify capital punishment in India.
"I am very satisfied. Today I am happy," the woman's mother said. Her father said: "It's not just a victory for my family, it's a victory for each and every woman in our country."
(Reuters)
Burnham speaks during the eventDowning Street
Minister Kanishka Narayan speaks during the eventDowning Street
Burnham called for positivity, hope and unity during the eventDowning Street
Visakha Dasi, president of Bhaktivedanta Manor temple, recites prayersDowning Street.
