May as well release him now: Victim's distraught mother

Minutes after the Juvenile Justice Board declared its verdict in the Delhi gangrape case, sentencing the accused who was 17 years old at the time of the crime to three years in a special correctional home for minors, the angry and distraught mother of the victim told journalists that she was disappointed with the justice system. “They may as well release him right now, it doesn’t make any difference,” she said bitterly, fighting tears.

The Juvenile Justice Board found the boy, who was 17 years and six months old at the time of the crime on December 16, 2012, will spend three years from the date of his arrest in the custody of a special home as per the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. The parents of the victim had repeatedly requested authorities to consider this a special case that merited a more severe punishment than the maximum permissible under the law.

“We will appeal in a higher court,” the mother told reporters. “This only encourages juveniles to commit serious crimes. They are not giving protection to girls,” she said.

Earlier in the day, before the verdict was declared, the mother spoke to television reporters and once again pleaded for the case to be treated as a special one. “It is sad for us that he will not be hanged as he is a juvenile. I would request the law to treat it as a special case and punish him severely. We would be hurt if he is let off alive. The court should give its verdict after taking into account the gravity of the crime…” she told NDTV.