Minors get away with major crimes

BANGALORE: One of the six perpetrators of the violent gang rape and murder of 23-year-old Nirbhaya was a 17-year-old.
Going by the law in Karnataka, juvenile offenders like him needn’t fear stringent punishment, whatever the enormity of the crime.
Systemic failure by all stakeholders in implementing the Juvenile Justice Act, 2006 (amended) has ensured that juveniles get away with heinous crimes.
The statistics available with the department of women and child development only underline this.
In Bangalore alone (urban and rural), 577 juveniles are awaiting trial for offences, which include serious ones like rape, murder and dacoity. The state figure is 2,235.