Justice has finally prevailed as the District and Sessions Court in Margao sentenced the 31-year-old accused to rigorous life imprisonment for the rape and murder of Irish-British national Danielle McLaughlin in 2017 bringing an eight-year-old legal battle for justice to an end. The verdict will hopefully act as a deterrence to such horrific acts in future.
The verdict brings to mind the horrific gang-rape and murder of a student in Delhi in 2012. The Nirbhaya case caused outrage across India, brought thousands of protesters out on the streets made global headlines for weeks and led to new anti-rape laws in India. According to data, thousands of rapes take place every year and the numbers have been consistently rising over the years. Anti-rape campaigners say thousands of rapes and cases of sexual assault are not even reported to the police. These rapists are everywhere, lurking in homes, playgrounds, schools and the streets, waiting for an opportunity to strike. There are horrific reports of violations which raises a pertinent question as to whether women are really safe in the country.
