She lit a flame: December 16 Delhi gang rape and its impact on lives, laws

On December 16, 2012, Delhi was forced to start a long-overdue conversation about women’s safety. Over the years, however, rape figures continue to soar and new incidents keep getting reported. The discussion seems to have stopped.

On December 16, 2012, Delhi was forced to start a long-overdue conversation about women’s safety. Over the years, however, rape figures continue to soar and new incidents keep getting reported. The discussion seems to have stopped.

People protest in Delhi after the December 16, 2012 gangrape which reignited the debate over juvenile crimes. (Mohd Zakir/HT File Photo)

Four years later, as we urge to Delhi to talk about rape, it’s important to recall what happened that fateful night when a 23-year-old braveheart was brutally assaulted on a moving bus in Munirka in south Delhi and left to die on the side of the road.

With December 16 hogging the headlines, people marched on to the streets, forcing the administration to act swiftly and punish the culprits. The lives of several people involved in the incident changed forever.

The incident also forced India to change its rape laws and opt for more stringent measures through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013.