All four men convicted of brutally raping and murdering a 23-year-old medical intern in New Delhi last year, were sentenced to death by Judge Yogesh Khanna on Friday, Sept. 13.
The judge ordered the men to be "hanged by neck until they are dead" for the "cold-blooded" rape and murder of the victim. "These are the times when gruesome crimes against women have become rampant, and courts cannot turn a blind eye to the need to send a strong deterrent message to the perpetrators of such crimes," said the judge in his ruling.
After the sentence was delivered, one of the four men, 20-year-old gym trainer Vinay Sharma, let out a loud wail and broke down. The men can appeal against their sentence in the High Court and the Supreme Court as well as request clemency from the president of India.
The horrific crime had united India in shock and anger and had garnered attention around the world. On hearing the news, cheers erupted from crowds waiting outside the Delhi court.
The victim's mother said with tears in her eyes, "I am satisfied now, and we are finally at peace. They have been given the punishment which they truly deserved."
"The way they hurt my daughter, I wanted them hurt too," her father told reporters.
