La riforma legislativa in materia di violenza sessuale in India: profili giuridici e sociologici

The legislative reform in the field of sexual assault in India: a legal and sociological outline

Abstract

The brutal gang rape occurred in Delhi in 2012 shed light on the problem of violence against women in India, gender discrimination and traditional prejudices. As the existing legislation had proved to be ineffective, the Indian Government set up the Verma Committee in charge of submitting proposals of amendment to the Penal Code, the code of criminal procedure and the Evidence Act. The findings of the Committee formed the starting point of the subsequent Amendment Act issued in 2013. This essay intends to analyze the key points of the document, also in the light of the sociological analysis of the situation of women in India.

sexual assault, gender discrimination, principle of equality, legislative reform, Verma Committee