Sir — This refers to the report, “5 mentally challenged girls sexually exploited” (September 6). This news is shocking, to say the least, and the perpetrators must be punished severely. In normal circumstances, with the strict enforcement of rules and expeditious handling of cases, there ought to be a sharp decline in the incidence of crime.
Ironically, just the opposite is happening today, especially in incidents of sex-related crimes against women. This is more apparent since the horrific December 16 Delhi gang rape incident. The daily reports of gender-based violence, of brutal sexual assaults on little girls and mentally challenged young women, only demonstrate that the perpetrators of these crimes do not fear the law. The authorities need to do more to tackle crime.