From “living corpse” to India's daughter: Exploring the social, political and legal landscape of the 2012 Delhi gang rape

• The 2012 Delhi gang rape produced notable legal and social outcomes in India.
• Politicians made multiple “foot in mouth” statements following the attack.
• Rape law jurisprudence reveals a focus on the stigma and dishonor of rape.
• The Justice Verma Committee highlighted many flaws in the socio-legal response to rape.

SynopsisOn December 16th 2012, Jyoti Singh, a 23 year old physiotherapy student, was brutally gang raped by six men on a bus in South Delhi, India. The severity of the attack and the inadequate response of the Indian government to the crime provoked nationwide protests and demands for legal reform. While other rapes have prompted public outcry, this particular crime inspired elevated interest, not only in India but around the world. This article addresses the relationship between the evolving social, political, and legal discourses surrounding rape in India that permeated the attack and its aftermath. By situating Jyoti Singh's case within a longer genealogy of responses to sexual violence in India this article reveals several unanticipated outcomes such as the distinct patterns of public outcry and protest, notable shifts in prior socio-legal narratives of rape and the pioneering content of the Justice Verma Committee report.