Death Penalty News

Instead of instituting capital punishment, governments need to address the social and legal problems underpinning the region’s epidemic of sexual violence. Despite the severe punishments meted out in many South Asian countries, sexual violence is endemic in the region. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan all have capital punishment for some forms of rape, such as raping a minor or gang rape. The last few months have seen widespread protests against rape in India, the Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In October 2020, the Bangladesh government approved measures to allow the death penalty for rape convictions, after weeks of protests. Lawmakers in Nepal are contemplating the same after renewed public calls for “Hanging the Rapist.” However, the death penalty may not be effective in deterring sexual violence. Many studies have found no conclusive evidence that the threat of capital punishment curbs crimes, leading activists to question if it is worth the excessive costs,...

On February 1, 2020, India may witness its first death penalty in 5 years as the 4 men convicted for the December 2012 rape and murder of Jyoti Singh, or ‘Nirbhaya’, are hanged as per a warrant issued by a Delhi sessions court. President Ram Nath Kovind had earlier rejected a mercy petition filed by 1 of the convicts. India has carried out only 4 executions since 2004, the last having been in 2015. 3 of the accused were convicted of terrorism while 1 was convicted for raping a minor, as IndiaSpend reported in August 2018. The upcoming February 1 executions in a case that had outraged India may not reduce crime against women and may, in fact, create a spectacle that distracts the government from implementing real reforms that can improve prosecution of rape cases, experts say. 53% more death sentences In 2018, 186 convicts were awarded the death penalty, a 53% rise from 121 in 2017, according to Prison Statistics India 2018, the latest available, of the National Crime...