Delhi gang rape: a case for the death penalty

Indian police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters who were demanding justice and safety for women following the brutal gang rape of a student on a bus.
Thousands of demonstrators in New Delhi surged towards the president’s palace chanting "we want justice" and carrying banners reading "hang them now".
Clashes between the protesters and riot police erupted when a group tried to break through barricades and some started throwing stones.

[quote author=~Nargis~ link=topic=75844.msg466874#msg466874 date=1356211541]
They shouldnt hang them. they shud flog them with barbs. and then cut their balls off with a dull knife and then leave to live and have them do hard labour till they skunt dead
[/quote]

on point

while gang rape is abominable , abortion of female fetuses is much more horrendous and these rich middleclass elites like Arundtha Roy now so outraged , remains mostly silent  because it is more prevalent among them ... people that can afford ultrasound

I wish i could be there yo protest too

I am so proud to see these young men and women stand together and protest against their govnt for action in this matter.

And they just reported that another little girl...a 3 year old little girl was raped the other day.

Experts say a combination of abusive sexual behaviour and a scant fear of the law because of the woefully low conviction rate, encourage such attacks in the city, which has a population of 19 million.

Thousands of protesters defied a ban on demonstrations in New Delhi on Sunday, venting their anger over a gang rape incident.For a second day, demonstrators were blasted with water cannons in the Indian capital. While some dispersed, others huddled tightly in a circle to brave high-pressure streams in the cold December weather.
"We want justice!" the protesters shouted in chorus.

The former president of India, Pratibha Patil (regarded by many as the most useless president India ever had) actually commuted the death sentence of around 30 people to life imprisonment. Right now there are some 470 people who are in death row, and the judges are considering commuting the sentence for all of them. 

I really don't see how this makes any kind of case for the death penalty.  For that, there would have to be evidence that the prospect of execution provides some kind of deterrent against these types of horrendous crimes.  No such evidence exists.


It's far more likely that violent vengeance endorsed by the state simply brutalises society still further, and makes serious violent crime more likely.