“At times I am confident that my daughter will get justice but then at times there is a sense of despair that makes me doubt the same fact. It has been more than five years now that we have been waiting for justice,” said Asha Devi, the mother of the December 16, 2012, gang-rape victim.
Speaking at an event organised by the Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust on Friday, Ms. Devi, along with other trust members, demanded a ‘women’s safety guarantee rights Act’ from the government.
Stating that it has been a year since capital punishment was awarded to the convicts, Ms. Devi said, “Till now my daughter has not been able to get justice. The death penalty is simply on paper as nothing as happened to the accused. If I am unable to get justice for my daughter, what am I supposed to tell all those who come to me for help?”
“Despite everything being in place, such instances are still happening around us. The reason is because authorities simply show us on paper that new laws have been made. After the incident, there were multiple laws that came into force but nothing has changed. Hence we decided to demand this Act from the government so that there is a system for the women that are applied to all women.”
Demanding district-level forensic laboratories, the proposed Act reads, “All rape convictions and decisions to be made under the POCSO Act should be done in the time frame assigned that is six months. Nirbhaya One-Stop Centres should be made operational with immediate effects.”
Only female doctors
Further, the Act proposed by the trust adds, “Only female doctors should examine rape victims. Male doctors conducting these tests should be severely punished.”
‘Lapses in our laws’
Highlighting the importance of the Act proposed by the Trust, Ms. Devi said, “Lapses in our laws and the lax attitude of the lawmakers is making our country weak and leaving our faith shaken.”
