Daily Times

Now that one offender from the motorway gang rape has been caught and the other is also expected to be apprehended soon, the question that confronts authorities is just how to deal with these degenerates. The entire purpose behind upholding the law by awarding punishment is to deter would be criminals by the sheer unpleasantness of the penalty. Yet there are instances, and our own country presents one of the finest examples, where the existence of laws and even, on occasion, implementation of punishments does not keep criminals from going about their business with full confidence. What then is the state to do? It is, after all, responsible for safety of life and property of all citizens. And if the arrangement in place is not working, clearly another approach is needed.

Once again this ugly incident has stirred calls for public exactions of convicted rapists. If some reports in the press are to be believed even the prime minister has expressed disgust about the said crime and advocated very strict punishment. But there are also people, even among enlightened and liberal groups, who believe that extreme punishments do not solve the problem and a different, far deeper approach is called for; one that address societal and psychological factors behind the most disgusting and disturbing crimes. Whichever way the government decides is better suited to the situation we all confront, it will have to carry out this important debate very soon.

Either way one thing is crystal clear. Criminals like the rapist that was caught by the police are able to tear the law to shreds with such reckless abandon only because they know that the chances of the law catching up with them are very thin. Even in this and the last few cases, the police was forced to move so quickly because of all the pressure that unprecedented media coverage put on the government of the day. Whether it is better to execute merciless rapists in public or in an execution chamber, crimes like rape will not diminish in number until the law, and agencies that enforce the law, are made so strong that all criminals are caught and made horrible examples out of. Surely that is one area where the government can begin to pull its socks up. *