Death Penalty for Rape : ‘Are 14-16 Year Old Girls Not Kids’: Kamal Haasan
Chennai/ APRIL 25: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has voiced his thoughts on the ordinance on rape promulgated provided for the death penalty for rape of girls under 12 years alone and not for those aged between 14 and 16 and said families should bring up boys to act responsibly.
“Why is the death penalty only for rape of girls aged under 12…What about 14, 15, and 16-year-olds, are they not children too? It will take time for them too (14-16 year-olds) to blossom as women. I do not know how to view it,” he said. The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief was addressing his party workers and supporters through YouTube.
Answering a question on crimes against women and children and the rules he would bring in if his party was voted to power, Haasan said “rules can be formulated… even now death penalty has been prescribed.” Haasan had made known his views against the death penalty before he entered politics.
The MNM chief said the important thing was for families to change their mindset in the way they brought up boys. “Just like we teach the values of chastity and honesty to girls, boys too must be brought up responsibly by families.” Sadly, this was not being done and boys were pampered and allowed to do what they wanted, ‘just because he is a male’, the actor said.
No government rule was needed to implement this, he said. President Ram Nath Kovind had on Sunday promulgated the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, paving the way for providing stringent punishment, including “death” penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.
” On eradicating caste, Haasan said it was a ‘disease’ and it should be eradicated.
