India: A 33-year-old man was found guilty of the rape and sordid murder of a doctor last August in Calcutta, sparking outrage in the country. The final verdict will fall on Monday, the death penalty is requested. The chilling details of the affair that shook India…
A verdict that sends shivers down your spine. On Saturday, Sanjoy Roy, 33, was found guilty of the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor last August in a hospital in Calcutta, India. A heinous crime which sparked a wave of indignation across the country, where sexual violence against women is commonplace. The defendant pleaded not guilty, claiming to be the victim of a frame-up, but the overwhelming evidence overcame his defense.
A drama that brings back dark memories
This drama revived the trauma of the gang rape of a student on a New Delhi bus in 2012, which shook the whole of India. The demonstrations and the strike of healthcare workers which followed the murder of the doctor testify to the exasperation faced with the daily insecurity experienced by women.
A bruised family demanding justice
For the victim’s relatives, whose identity is protected by law, only the death penalty will provide justice. “ He brutally snuffed out our daughter’s life. He deserves the same fate “, declared the devastated father to AFP. The mother added: “ Ordinary people will lose confidence in the justice system if they are not sentenced to the death penalty. »
-A rapid trial under pressure
A rare occurrence in India where justice is proverbially slow, the trial was completed in record time, with the pleadings completed in less than 10 days. A speed which testifies to the pressure exerted by indignant public opinion. But the local authorities have not escaped criticism over their initial management, which was deemed to be faulty, with several senior police and health officials having been dismissed.
Measures still insufficient
If the tragedy of 2012 led to tougher sentences for rapists, going as far as the death penalty for repeat offenders, sexual violence remains endemic. According to official data, 90 rapes are recorded every day, but many go unreported. The Supreme Court has ordered a prevention plan in hospitals, but there is still a long way to go to guarantee the safety of women.
The highly anticipated final verdict
On Monday, Sanjoy Roy will receive his sentence. Despite his denials, his guilt is no longer in doubt. It remains to be seen whether the judges will go as far as pronouncing the death penalty, as the family and many demonstrators are demanding. One thing is certain, all of India will have its eyes riveted on the Calcutta court for this historic verdict, with the hope that justice will finally be done to this young doctor cut down in the prime of her life and to all the victims of sexual violence.
