76% citizens want death penalty for rapists: Survey
New Delhi, April 23: A day after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod to an ordinance on death penalty for rapists who attack children, a citizen survey shows that 76 per cent of the people agree with it.
According to the survey conducted by Local Circles, 18 per cent voted for life imprisonment without parole for convicted rapists while three per cent said it should be a seven-year jail term (which is the current law).
To catch the citizens' pulse on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, LocalCircles conducted six nation-wide polls which received more than 40,000 votes.
In the second poll, 89 per cent agreed that they want their states to pass a law that awards death penalty within six months. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh have also passed a law that awards death penalty for child rape.
In another poll, which was about engaging more women officers to register cases of sexual assault, it was found that 78 per cent citizens were in support of every district level police station to have at least one woman officer.
For the fourth poll, on maximum time taken by the police to file a charge sheet in cases of child rape, only 28 per cent said it should be done within 30 days, while 25 per cent said 45 days.
In the fifth poll, it was found that 65 per cent want POCSO judges to only handle cases which are related to child sexual abuse.
The final poll on the maximum time taken for justice in cases of child rape under POCSO act, 85 per cent citizens said it should be within six months.
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Vatican City (AP): Pope Francis was rolled into St Peter's Square in a wheelchair during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick, marking his first public appearance at the Vatican on Sunday since his release from the hospital two weeks ago.
The pontiff lifted his hands to wave at the crowd, who stood and applauded, as he was rolled to the front of the altar in the square.
“Good Sunday to everyone,'' the pope told the crowd. “Thank you very much.”
The pontiff's voice sounded stronger than when he addressed well-wishers outside of Gemelli hospital on the day of his release March 23, after battling life-threatening pneumonia during a five-week hospital stay.
