Punishment of Rajon's killers
The High Court on April 11 upheld the death sentence for four perpetrators involved in the brutal torture and killing of Rajon in 2015. The killing created a national outcry when one of the accused uploaded a video of the incident online and it went viral. That a minor could be beaten to death by a group of brutes on the mere allegation that he tried to steal a rickshaw van shocked all of us to the core. The killers took pleasure in their deed so much that they thought it apt to post a video of their crime online. Although the legal proceedings have taken less than two years to complete, which is shorter than the time it usually takes to pass sentence on such cases, we suggest setting up of speedy trial courts to try cases of violence against children.
Regrettably, we have seen an upsurge in violence against children over the last few years. Indeed, this paper editorialised on April 12 the spike in crimes against children, which brought to the fore the figure of some 145 children raped in the first three months of 2016, while 50 children were killed. These are ominous figures that point towards the rising trend of brutality against children. Having speedy trial in place would certainly act as deterrence against those who believe that they can prey on children with impunity. The State must act swiftly to contain this phenomenon which is fast becoming a malaise in our society.
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