There is no doubt that sexual violence perpetrated on children is profoundly disturbing. In light of the cases in Unnao and Kathua, our public moral outrage has reached its crescendo and the demand for death has never felt more morally just. While our disgust is rightly placed, our response must take into account the complexity and magnitude of what we face.
In 2012, when a similar ordinance and subsequent legislation introduced the death penalty for certain sexual offences in light of the 16 December 2012 gangrape in Delhi, it was imagined that the fear of punishment would deter potential offenders and yet for the past six years, little has changed in terms of the country becoming safer for women.
As we stand on the cusp of another definitive moment in the discourse around sexual violence, it is imperative that we prevent ourselves from being blinded by emotional political rhetoric and satisfied with knee-jerk responses that seek to appease public sentiment rather than address the chronic realities of sexual abuse and violence.