Shanmugam speaks out against Delhi gang rape
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Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam has weighed in on the death of the Indian woman who died yesterday after a brutal attack by six men in New Delhi.
In a Facebook post today, he called it a "heartbreaking case", and said that he would often cite cases like this as examples when he discusses with people who want the death penalty here to be abolished.
"Many would agree that this is a type of case where, if the injuries inflicted were of a nature sufficient to cause death, then the abusers should face the death penalty," he wrote.
His comments sparked hundreds of responses on his Facebook page. Some supported his stance the dealth penalty, such as a netizen who went by the name OC Yeo, who said: "The death penalty must remain - otherwise justice cannot be served."
Others, however, said the punishment remains unjustifiable.
A user called Joshua Chiang said the death penalty is "an arcane law that cannot be intellectually justified on any grounds".
In response, Minister Shanmugam said he sees the punishment as "a necessary evil".
"Having the death penalty alone is not going to stop violent crimes - it didnt stop this young lady from being grossly violated," he wrote.
