1st LD Writethru: Indian court hands down life sentence to five men for 2014 gang rape of Danish tourist

An Indian court Friday sentenced five men to life in jail for the gang rape of a 52-year-old Danish tourist in the capital in 2014.

The court on Monday convicted them for kidnapping and raping the Danish tourist at knife-point in January 2014 after she had asked them for directions when she lost her way to her hotel.

After a couple of days of argument by the prosecutor and the defense counsel of the convicts, the judge pronounced the order in presence of all five of them in the court on Friday.

However, the five convicts have the right to appeal against their sentences in a higher court of law and then in the Supreme Court.

The victim, who had just come to Delhi after visiting the iconic Taj Mahal, left India soon after the incident following recording of her statement before police in presence of the Danish ambassador.

Initially a total of nine people, including three minors, were arrested by the Delhi Police for the crime. One of the accused died during trial, while the minors are being tried by juvenile court.

Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has increased many-fold since the brutal and fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old medical student by six men on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012. Enditem