India court seeks age reports in Danish rape case

Published February 20, 2014
Indian residents stand near the Tis Hazari court lockup, where the accused in the case of the gang rape of a 51-year old Danish tourist are being held in New Delhi. — Photo by AFP
Indian residents stand near the Tis Hazari court lockup, where the accused in the case of the gang rape of a 51-year old Danish tourist are being held in New Delhi. — Photo by AFP

NEW DELHI: An Indian judge Thursday ordered reports to determine the age of one of six suspects accused of the gang-rape of a Danish tourist, as the group appeared in court.

Defence lawyers said the defendant claimed that he was a minor, which would mean he could expect a much lighter sentence than his five co-accused if found guilty of the January 14 attack in New Delhi.

Presiding judge Sudhanshu Kaushik ordered the lawyers to provide reports by the next hearing on March 6 at the court in the capital. The suspects were all remanded in custody until then.

The assault on the 51-year-old Dane, who was attacked at knife point after losing her way in central Delhi, was the latest in a series of sex attacks on foreigners in India.

A Polish woman was drugged and raped as she travelled to Delhi with her two-year-old daughter in January, while a US tourist was gang-raped last June in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

The issue of women's safety in the capital was also highlighted by the gang-rape of a student on a bus in December 2012 which sparked mass protests.

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