An Indian court on Monday sentenced to life in prison a man convicted of the rape and murder of a doctor, a crime that shocked this country where sexual violence against women is very common.
The victim’s parents, who had called for the murderer to be sentenced to death by hanging, declared, in tears, to be “shocked” by the sentence that was imposed.
For Judge Anirban Das, this crime did not deserve the death penalty because it fell under the “rarest of rare cases”.
He ordered that Sanjoy Roy, 33, a volunteer working at the Calcutta hospital where the bloodied body of the 31-year-old practitioner was discovered, spend his life behind bars.
Arrested last August, the day after the crime, and declared guilty on Saturday by the same court, he proclaimed his innocence throughout his trial, and again on Monday, claiming to have been ” trap “.
His lawyer, Kabita Sarkar, indicated that he intended to appeal, believing that his client was not “mentally balanced”.
The father of the victim who, like his wife, wanted Sanjoy Roy to be executed by hanging, declared that he wanted “continue our fight”. “We will not let the investigations stop (…) whatever happens, we will fight for justice. »
The identity of any of the family members has not been revealed, in accordance with Indian law on sexual violence.
This tragedy sparked indignation across the country and some healthcare workers went on strike and demonstrated, demanding stricter security measures in public hospitals.
“Justice has not been served”
At the end of this movement, the Supreme Court ordered the creation of a working group made up of doctors, responsible for preparing a plan to prevent violence in hospitals, where working conditions are often deplorable.
-The trial was fast-tracked as the Indian justice system is usually slow.
In the weeks following this crime, the attitude of local authorities and the conduct of the investigation were the subject of strong criticism. Thus, the Calcutta police chief and several regional health service officials were dismissed from their posts.
This tragedy recalled the one suffered by a young woman on a bus in the capital New Delhi in 2012, which had shone a harsh light on the heavy silence around sexual violence in the most populous country on the planet, the deficiencies of its judicial system in the fight against rape and, beyond that, the treatment of women in Indian society.
Under pressure from public opinion, the government toughened legislation on sexual violence, even promulgating the death penalty for repeat offenders.
The four men found guilty of the gang rape of the student were executed by hanging in March 2020.
On Monday, thousands of people gathered near the court chanting “Hang him, hang him”.
Rimjhim Sinha, 34, who helped organize numerous rallies to demand justice and better protection for women before the trial, said “deeply disappointed” by the sentence that was imposed.
“This is a diabolical crime, an extreme case of perversion”according to her, considering that“It is high time that India stems the wave of rapes and murders that continues to surge”.
Aniket Mahato, a doctor and spokesperson for young doctors who observed weeks of strike last year, feels that “justice has not been served”
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