Executions will not eradicate violence against women, Amnesty International India said on Monday, after the apex court dismissed pleas by three of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case for a review of the death penalty awarded to them.
There was no evidence to show that death penalty acted as a deterrent to sexual violence. The government must allocate adequate resources for effective implementation of laws, improve conviction rates and ensure certainty of justice in all cases, Asmita Basu, Amnesty International India’s Programmes director, said.
“All too often, lawmakers in the country hold up capital punishment as a symbol of their resolve to tackle crime, and choose to ignore more difficult and effective solutions like improving investigations, prosecutions and support for victims’ families. Far-reaching procedural and institutional reforms are the need of the hour,” Ms. Basu said.