J&K govt passes ordinance on death penalty of child rapists

The Jammu and Kashmir government, led by Mehbooba Mufti, has passed an ordinance, Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Children from Sexual Violence Ordinance (JKPCSVO), 2018, allowing the courts to award death penalty to rapists of children below 12 years old. Another ordinance, Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, allows courts to award life imprisonment to those convicted of raping girls between 13 and 16 years of age. The move has come amidst the outrage over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Kathua, Jammu. The central government has also passed an ordinance to amend Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, allowing courts to give death penalty to child rapists.