S Korean court orders 1st chemical castration of child rapist

S Korean court orders 1st chemical castration of child rapist

  In a landmark ruling, a South Korean

court today sentenced a 31-year-old pedophile to 15 years in

jail and ordered the country's first ever chemical castration.

          The ruling is the first since the country passed a law in

2011 that allows hormonal treatment or chemical castration for

convicted child molesters, who are at risk of repeating their

crimes.

          The defendant, only known by his surname Pyo, was charged

with having sex with five teenagers whom he met through a

smartphone chat service six times between November 2011 and

May 2012, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

            Pyo then threatened to circulate online video footage of

them engaged in sexual acts and nude photos of the minors, and

also raped them by threatening them with deadly weapons.

            "(Pyo) committed the crimes against multiple victims for

a long period of time. (The court) deems that he has a

distorted sexual awareness and excessive sexual desire, which

makes it impossible for him to control sexual impulses by

himself," Judge Kim Ki-young of the Seoul Southern District

Court said in his ruling.

            The court also ordered Pyo's information be made

available to the public for 10 years and that he wear an

electronic monitoring anklet for 20 years after his release

from prison. Pyo was also ordered to undergo 200 hours of

therapy to treat his sexual impulses, the court said.

            South Korea was the first country in Asia to adopt this

type of treatment, although Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland

and the US state of California have used it for years, the

report said.

            The country's Justice Ministry, meanwhile, said Pyo would

be administered the first medication designed to reduce sex

drive, compulsive sexual fantasies and capacity for sexual

arousal two months ahead of his release from the prison.

            The Seoul court's verdict came at time when India is

debating whether to introduce punishment like chemical

castration to check crimes against women in the wake of the

horrific gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi, who died in

Singapore last month.

SC to hear PILs on rape cases, women safety tomorrow

SC to hear PILs on rape cases, women safety tomorrow

 The Supreme Court would tomorrow

hear matters related to setting up of fast track courts for

speedy trial in rape cases and effective implementation of

existing laws for safety of women.

          "We understand the importance of the matter. We will hear

it tomorrow," a bench comprising justices K S Radhakrishnan

and Dipak Misra said.

          The petition filed by retired lady IAS officer Promilla

Shanker was listed before the bench following yesterday's

order of another bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir,

which had agreed to give the matter an urgent hearing.

            The bench headed by Justice Radhakrishnan decided to hear

the matter tomorrow as it had received a report from the apex

court registry that an identical matter relating to the safety

of women was already pending.

            The judges were of the view that they would like to know

the details of the other pending matter.

            Senior advocate Pramod Swarup and advocate Pareena Swarup

said there may be some overlapping issues in the two petitions

but the PIL by the former bureaucrat raised other issues

including the need for speedy trial for the offences against

women.

            The apex court will also hear another PIL related to the

issue which was filed by an advocate and social activist Omika

Dubey in which directions have been sought for appointment of

additional judges to adjudicate the matters of crime against

women and for providing compulsory compensation to victims of

rape.

            The PIL filed through advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta also

sought an order to restrain print and electronic media from

publishing and telecasting obscene pictures of women

Will implement SC judgement on Lokayukta soon: Gujarat govt

Will implement SC judgement on Lokayukta soon: Gujarat govt

 With the Supreme Court today
upholding Governor Kamla Beniwal's decision to appoint Justice
(retd) R A Mehta as Gujarat Lokayukta, the Narendra Modi
government said it would soon implement the apex court
judgement.
"We will soon implement the Supreme Court judgement on
Lokayukta," state Law Minister Bhupindersinh Chudasama said
here.
"The Supreme Court has accepted Gujarat government's
contention that Governor has to act as per the advice of the
Council of Ministers," he added.
A detailed reaction on the issue could only be given after
reading the judgement, Chudasama said.
In a setback to the Gujarat government, the Supreme Court
upheld Mehta's appointment as the state Lokayukta, saying it
was done in consultation with the Chief Justice of Gujarat
High Court.
The Governor was bound to act under advice of Council of
Ministers, but in this case the appointment was not wrong
since it was done in consultation with the High Court Chief
Justice, the apex court said.
Governor Kamla Beniwal had on August 25 last year
appointed Justice Mehta to the post of Lokayukta, which had
been lying vacant for the last eight years.

'Centre to ensure harsh punishment for crimes against women'

'Centre to ensure harsh punishment for crimes against women'

Terming the Delhi gang rape case as

a "horrendous incident" Defence Minister A K Antony today said

the Centre would bring out a law ensuring stringent punishment

for culprits involved in crimes against women immediately on

getting the Justice J S Verma Committee report.

          "What has happened in Delhi is brutal. The accused should

get harshest punishment. This is my view and demand of the

public as a whole," Antony said.

          "Let the protests and reactions of society against the

Delhi incident open our eyes. I don't think the public outcry

would subside soon," he said while inaugurating the 136th

birth anniversary celebrations of Mannath Padmanabhan, social

reformer and founder of Nair Service Society at Perunna near

here.

            Asserting that the Centre would implement the

recommendations of the Verma Committee as soon as it gets the

report, he said law, court and police alone were not enough

but a social movement was needed to prevent crimes against

women.

            The government had on December 23 constituted the

Committee under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Verma,

former Chief Justice of India, to look into the possible

amendments of the criminal law so as to provide for quicker

trial and enhanced punishment to criminals in such cases.

            "It is the duty of every citizen, both men and women, to

create an atmosphere where women are totally safe at home,

schools, public places and work places," Antony said.

            "Ensuring safety of women not only requires legislative

measures but a strong social movement. This has already

started in India. Not only political parties but social

organisations and NGOs have also a vital role to play in this

movement to cleanse the society from the impurities that have

accumulated and tainting it," he said.

    Lauding the role of Mannath Padmanabhan in reforming the

caste-ridden Kerala society in the last century, Antony said

it was unfortunate that communal mistrust was becoming a cause

for concern in the state again.

    If this was allowed to grow unchecked, Kerala would again

become a "lunatic asylum" of rigid casteism as said by Swami

Vivekananda over a century back, he added. 

Naming anti-rape law after girl will be an honour: Family

Naming anti-rape law after girl will be an honour: Family

 A day after Union Minister Shashi

Tharoor favoured naming the revised anti-rape law after Delhi

gang-rape victim, her family members today said they have no

objection to it and the move would be an honour to the girl.

            The family members of the 23-year-old girl said that "if

her name is made public for this purpose, they have no

objection to it".

            Talking to PTI, the father and brother of the girl said

that "if the government names the revised anti-rape law after

her, they have no objection and it would be an honour to her".

            Tharoor had yesterday favoured making public the

identity of the gang-rape victim wondering what interest was

served by keeping her name under wraps.

            Tharoor, the Minister of State for Human Resources

Development, had also said the revised anti-rape legislation

should be named after the victim if her parents do not have

any objection.

            "Wondering what interest is served by continuing

anonymity of #DelhGangRape victim. Why not name&honour her as

a real person w/own identity?" he asked on micro-blogging site

Twitter.

            "Unless her parents object, she should be honoured&the

revised anti-rape law named after her. She was a human being

w/a name,not just a symbol," Tharoor, who is known for

speaking his mind, said.

            On reports of Telugu filmmaker Ramana Gaddam planning to

make changes in his upcoming film to highlight the brutal

gangrape, the girl's brother said before doing so he should

meet them and give information about the storyline.

            He said the director would have to clarify what he wants

to portray in the movie.

            Asked about the financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh

announced by the Uttar Pradesh government and assistance of Rs

15 lakh and job announced by Delhi government, the brother

said though announcements have been made, they are yet to

receive the assistance.

            However, the girl's father said he was satisfied with the

announcements made by the government.

            The family members termed as misleading reports in the

media that the girl was about to get married.

            On a question regarding police charge sheet in the case,

the brother said they do not want to comment on the issue and

only want justice

SC to pronounce verdict on Gujarat Lokayukta appointment

SC to pronounce verdict on Gujarat Lokayukta appointment

The Supreme Court will pronounce

tomorrow its verdict on Gujarat government's plea against the

appointment of retired judge R A Mehta's as state Lokayukta,

done unilaterally by Governor Kamla Beniwal without consulting

the government.

A bench of justices B S Chauhan and F M Ibrahim Kalifulla

is to pass the order on the state's appeal against the order

of the Gujarat High Court which had upheld the governor's

decision last January.

The high court's verdict had been delivered by Justice V M

Sahai after a division bench gave a split judgement on the

legitimacy of the governor's action in Justice Mehta's

appointment as Lokayukta.

Justice Sahai, who decided the matter as a third judge,

had also pulled up Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for

creating a constitutional crisis and held that the governor

had the discretionary power to make the appointment. He had

said the "pranks" played by the chief minister on the

Lokayukta issue "demonstrates deconstruction of our

democracy."

Challenging the high court's order, the state government

had contended that the personal discretion exercised by the

governor in unilaterally issuing the warrant of appointment of

Lokayukta was "unwarranted."

It had also objected to the use of "very harsh expressions

and language" against Modi by the high court and had sought

expunction of those remarks.

The governor had on August 25, 2011 appointed Justice

Mehta to the post as Lokayukta, which had been lying vacant

for the last eight years.

Earth to be closest to Sun tomorrow

Earth to be closest to Sun tomorrow

 Stargazers will get a celestial

treat on New Year with Sun coming nearest to our planet

tomorrow.

  The Earth will be at its nearest point from the Sun

at 10:10 AM tomorrow at a distance of 147 million km,

Planetary Society of India General Secretary N Sri Raghunandan

Kumar said today.

            Every January, the Earth is at perihelion, the closest

from the Sun for the year, and in July it is at aphelion, the

farthest to the Sun for the year, he said.

            This year the earth will be at aphelion on July 5.

            The word perihelion comes from the Greek words "peri"

(meaning "near") and "helios" (meaning "sun").

            All planets, comets and asteroids in our solar system have

elliptical orbits. Thus, they all have a closest and a

farthest point from the Sun -- a perihelion and an aphelion,

he said.

            Explaining the reason why the temperature does not rise on

Perihelion Day even when the sunlight is more, Kumar said,

"There are many reasons for it. Blame it on the tilt of the

Earth's axis. Actually, our seasons are determined by the

tilt of the Earth and not by how close the Earth is to the

Sun."