Four Rapists Sentenced to Death

A judge sentenced four men to death today for the fatal gang-rape last year of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi, a brutal crime that shocked the nation and led to countrywide protests, heightened awareness of sexual assault in India, and stricter laws to protect women. Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, and Mukesh Singh were convicted earlier this week of rape, unnatural sex, murder, conspiracy, and destroying evidence. The men maintain their innocence and say they plan to appeal. A crowd had gathered outside the courtroom, chanting for a verdict. “Justice, for us, means death," said one of the victim’s relatives.