India to name and shame rapists
Indian students shout slogans as they wave a placard during a demonstration in Jammu on December 20, 2012, as they protest the rape of a young woman in the Indian capital. Riot police fired water cannon on December 19, at a protest in New Delhi over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student who was left fighting for her life as outrage against the brutal attack grew across India.
India's government will post the photos, names and addresses of convicted rapists on official websites to publicly shame them.
Minister of state for home affairs Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh said the campaign will be put into place first in Delhi, where the brutal gang-rape of a student on December 16 by six drunk men has sparked nationwide protests, reported Agence France-Presse.
"Photographs, names and addresses of the rapists will be uploaded on the Delhi Police website (http://www.delhipolice.nic.in)," Singh said. "We are very serious about dealing with the problem and taking all possible action as early as possible."
More from GlobalPost: India has a gang rape problem
Thousands of students have been protesting in Delhi and other cities almost daily, demanding better safety for women, tougher punishment for anyone found guilty of sexual assault and a faster and more effective legal system, according to NDTV. Singh said creating a directory of sexual offenders was one of the suggestions made by a group of students to help prevent repeat offenses.
AFP also noted that the minister said the government-run National Crime Records Bureau had been told to prepare the suggested directory of convicted rapists and upload their photographs and personal details to its official website (http://ncrb.nic.in).
Rape in India currently carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, but the government has promised to toughen laws.
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