India and US Courts Issue Severe Rape Sentences

Recent court rulings in India and the US highlight severe sentences for sexual assault cases involving minors. In Delhi, Ambika Prasad Upadhay received a life sentence for assaulting a seven-year-old girl, emphasizing that first-time offender status does not mitigate the severity under the POCSO Act. Similarly, a Delhi court sentenced a man to 20 years for assaulting a mentally challenged boy, underscoring the gravity of such crimes. In the US, Ernesto Velasquez-Jimenez was sentenced to 49 years for repeated sexual abuse of a child. Meanwhile, a Kozhikode court sentenced a man to 20 years for assaulting a three-year-old, ordering the sentences to run concurrently. Additionally, the Telangana High Court commuted a death sentence to life imprisonment for Gafafar Ali, who raped and killed a five-year-old, considering the absence of premeditation.