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The Straits Times
PublishedDec 17, 2020, 5:00 am SGT
https://str.sg/JabV
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ISLAMABAD • Pakistan has approved the chemical castration of rapists as part of sweeping new legislation sparked by outcry over the gang rape of a mother on a motorway.
Rape and the law
December 16, 2020
In a previous column (‘Reform the System’, Sep 18) on these pages, I had stated that severity of punishment alone does not stop criminals from committing sexual crimes; the real effective deterrent is the high probability that the culprit will be caught, prosecuted and punished.
There are serious flaws in our criminal justice system where culprits are either not caught as assaults go unreported or, if caught, are not convicted leading to a feeling of impunity amongst criminals. The public was already tired of the inaction by successive governments. For the prime minister, who was already concerned, the Sialkot Motorway Incident was the final straw which eventually led him to publicly promise legal reforms. In the subsequent discussion, of which I was a part, the prime minister laid down the foundations for a proposed law to address the core problems of the criminal justice system regarding sexual offences, ensure certainty of conviction by
Pakistan on Tuesday enacted a new anti-rape law that would allow for speedy trial of rape cases, besides providing for chemical castration of repeat sexual offenders.
President Arif Alvi approved the Anti-Rape Ordinance under which special courts could be set up to hear cases about sexual violence incidents, the presidential office said.
The courts dealing with rape cases would now have to decide the cases within four months of the start of the trial. The process for collection of evidence of examination of victims would also be sped up under the new law.
Besides the new law having a provision for chemical castration of the repeat sexual offenders, the government is setting up an offender registry.
Todayâs outlook: Six years of APS attack, PM in Peshawar
Notes from the newsroom SAMAA | Web desk Posted: Dec 16, 2020 | Last Updated: 4 months ago
Gif: SAMAA Digital
Today marks six years of the Army Public School Peshawar attack.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will be in Peshawar today for a one-day visit. He will inaugurate a renovation project of the Hayatabad Sports Complex, and the Pakistan Institute of Cardiology. He is also scheduled to inaugurate a high-rise flat project.
Two Pakistani soldiers were martyred on the Line of Control in Indian firing. They have been identified as 35-year-old Naik Shah Jehan and 21-year-old Sepoy Hameed.