The youngest of six gang rapists in India was just released from prison after serving his three year sentence, according to Al Jazeera. Since he was not yet 18 at the time of the attack, the maximum sentence is three years.
The rape happened in 2012 on a moving Delhi bus. Six men assaulted a 23-year-old physiotherapy student and her male friend. Four of the rapists received death sentences (that have not yet been carried out), and the fifth committed suicide in prison.
The female victim died of injuries 13 days after the brutal attack. The crime caused outrage in India and around the globe.
The Delhi Commission for Women filed a petition against the release of the man, but the Delhi High Court rejected the plea to extend his term. The Supreme Court will hear the petition Monday.
The victim’s mother, Asha Singh, is unhappy with the court’s decision. “Crime has won. We have lost. Our efforts for three years have failed,” she said.
Hundreds of people crowded the streets of Delhi on Sunday to protest the release of the man.
“He has been moved to an undisclosed location, where he will be observed,” Delhi state government spokesman Nagendar Sharma told CNN. “But technically, he is no longer in custody.”
On Wednesday, Asha Singh publicly named her daughter, Jyoti Singh, at the third anniversary commemoration. By law, rape victims are not publicly named in India. Joyti’s mother wanted to end the stigma that the victims of sexual assault face in India. This is not the first time India has made global headlines for such brutal attacks.
We can only hope that the convict serves justice and Jyoti’s family can find peace.