New Delhi: The parents of December 16 gangrape victim Nirbhaya have expressed satisfaction that the crucial Juvenile Justice Bill has finally got the Rajya Sabha's approval.
After passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Nirbhaya's mother, Asha Devi, said that she 'was happy with the passage of the bill but justice in the case of her daughter was not delivered'.
"I just pray that our girls should be safe now. I am happy (with the passage of the bill) but somewhat I'm unhappy that justice wasn't served to our Nirbhaya," she said.
Badrinath Singh, father of the 23-year-old paramedical student Nirbhaya, who was gang raped by five men and a juvenile on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012, said that the bill is a step forward in the fight for justice.
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"We have been demanding that the juvenile should be tried on the basis of the crime they have committed. But the current bill has lowered the age of the juvenile. The changes can be brought in later (in the bill). As of now I'm happy that the Juvenile Justice Bill has been passed in Parliament today," he said.
"Lowering the age doesn't matter since such a heinous crime can be committed by a 14-year-old as well. But at least there is a start," he added.
Nirbhaya's parents were continuously protesting the release of the juvenile convict, while urging both the government and the Opposition to pass the bill.
The Juvenile Justice Bill, first introduced in Parliament on August 12, 2014 and cleared by the Lok Sabha on May 7, 2015, provides for the trial of those between 16 and 18 years of age as adults for heinous offences.
Also, anyone between the age of 16 and 18 who commits a less serious offence may be tried as an adult if he is apprehended after he attains the age of 21.
Kailash Satyarthi welcomes Juvenile Justice Bill passage
Nobel Peace Laureate and child rights' champion Kailash Satyarthi also welcomed the passage of Juvenile Justice Bill by terming it as 'a major legislative reform measure towards holistic child protection and development'.
"Whether it's a crime by a child or on a child, the focus has to be on reform and restitution and not just deterrence. Care and protection must be provided to all children up to the age of 18. We welcome that no child below the age of 18 will go to jail and instead be sent to a special place of safety till the age of 21," he said.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2014 replaces the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000. It addresses children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.
