Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Juvenile Convicted in Infamous Delhi Gang-rape Case Released by Reuters An Indian court on Friday ordered the release of juvenile convict in the horrific 2012 Delhi gang rape case, rejecting the federal government's plea seeking extension of custody of the convict. The juvenile convict, known to have been the most brutal of the six accused, was tried as a juvenile as he was 17 at the time of the attack. The maximum penalty that could be imposed by the Juvenile Justice Board was three years. The juvenile convict, now an adult, is scheduled to be released this week on December 20. An Indian government lawyer, Anil Soni, said the court directed the government to take care of convict's rehabilitation. "We will have to release him. The court directed the government to take all measures to ensure his proper rehabilitation," Soni said in New Delhi. Rehabilitation plan faulted The federal government filed a petition saying the post-release rehabilitation plan by the management committee set up as per Juvenile Justice (JJ) rules was inadequate. Meanwhile, the father of Delhi gang rape victim said he was pained by the court's verdict. "We are not above the court. The court must have taken this decision after due diligence. I will think about it later. We are pained but what can I do. We are also helpless," said the father. On the fateful night of December 16, 2012, six men, including the juvenile, lured the hapless woman, a trainee physiotherapist, and her male friend onto the bus while the duo was on their way home after watching a movie at a shopping mall in south Delhi. As the bus drove through the streets of the capital, the men repeatedly raped the girl and penetrated her with a metal rod before dumping her and her friend, naked and semi-conscious, onto the road. Died of internal injuries Though her friend survived, she died of internal injuries in a Singapore hospital two weeks after the attack. The brutal gang rape of the 23-year-old student led to demonstrations by thousands of people demanding justice and better treatment for women, and put pressure on the police and the government to improve a judicial system which experts says often fails victims of sexual assault. In the aftermath of the case, India tried to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The bill was passed in the lower house of the parliament, Lok Sabha but is still stuck in the upper house, Rajya Sabha. In its annual report of 2014, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said there were 337,922 reports of violence against women such as rape, molestation, abduction and cruelty by husbands last year, also up 9 percent in 2013. A wave of public protests fueled by the fatal Delhi gang rape jolted many in the world's second most populous country out of apathy and forced the government to enact stiffer penalties on gender crimes. This included the death sentence for repeat rape offenders, criminalizing stalking and voyeurism, and making acid attacks and human trafficking specific offenses. Public awareness Since then, a spike in media reports, government campaigns and civil society programs have increased public awareness of women's rights and emboldened victims to register abuses. But women's rights groups say the figures are still gross underestimates, as many victims remain reluctant to report crimes such as rape or domestic violence for fear their families and communities will shun them. __________________________________________________________________ [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/juvenile-convicted-in-infamous-delhi- gang-rape-case-released/3108503.html References 1. http://www.voanews.com/content/juvenile-convicted-in-infamous-delhi-gang-rape-case-released/3108503.html