Rape victims' parents demand death penalty for all accused
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 22 2018: Referring to the ordinance approved by the Union Cabinet yesterday allowing the Courts to pronounce the death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years old, mother of the Patsoi Part III rape victim demanded death penalty be awarded to all those convicted of raping minor girls irrespective of age.

Talking to The Sangai Express, the victim's mother contended that Chongtham Anand (34) s/o (L) Yaima of Patsoi Part III taking advantage of seclusion allegedly raped her 13 years old daughter after entering their resi- dence on October 25 of last year.

She said that her daughter narrated the ordeal to the family members on the day itself and a complain was filed at Patsoi police station on the next day.

She said that admitting his guilt, Anand surrendered before the police on October 27 and he is currently lodged in jail.

While welcoming the ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet, she made an observation that awarding death pen- alty against those convicted of raping children up to 12 years old indicates that children above 12 years old are still vul- nerable to rape and other forms of sexual assault.

The victim's mother a tailor by profession said that her husband who works in a brick field is looking after the family, including education for their three children - two daughters and a son.

She expressed sorrow that her daughter has been reeling under mental trauma following the incident.

Speaking to this daily, father of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly gang raped in a moving van in Bishnupur district on February 13 last said that his daughter was called out by some unidentified persons and taken inside the vehicle at around 6.30 pm.

He claimed that his daughter was abandoned near Thanga Government High School after allegedly raping her.

He said that his daughter first informed about the incident to the chowkidar of the school, who then shared the information with the family members.

He identified the accused as Heisnam Lanboi s/o Budhi of Thanga Heisnam Leikai; Heisnam Hoking s/o Surchandra and Heisnam Bidyananda s/o Nando of the same locality.

According to him, Keibul police informed the family members that all of them have surrendered on February 14 and 15.He said that Lanboi's family mem- bers had tendered a deep apology to the family members on February 13 midnight.

Informing that all the accused are being kept at Nambol juvenile home, the victim's father wondered how can they be considered as juveniles when they possessed voter cards.

He said that his daughter who is the youngest amongst the four siblings, is a bright student who always stood first in studies since Nursery standard.

He also mentioned that the victim also bagged a special award in an open debate competition held in the locality.

He is also of the view that all the rapists should be awarded death penalty so that such a heinous crime does not recur.

Arambam Robita, secretary of Young Women Help Or- ganisation asserted that it is high time for the Government to come up with strong measures to deter the alarming rate of crimes against women in the State.

She observed that many sexual offenders get lesser degrees of punishment in absence of an effective anti-rape law in the State.

Mention may be made that women's wing of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) had staged a sit-in-protest at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai community hall on April 9 demanding the Government to enact an anti-rape law to curb the rampant crime against women in the State.

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