A court in India has handed down death sentences to four men convicted in a fatal gang rape that sparked outraged across the country.
The sentences must be confirmed by Indian's high court. The four can also appeal.
They were found guilty on September 10 of the December 2012 attack on a 23-year-old woman, who later died of her injuries.
Judge Yogesh Khanna told the court in the Indian capital, New Delhi, that the case fell into the "rarest-of-rare category," which justified hanging.
"In these times, when crimes against women are on the rise, the court cannot turn a blind eye to this gruesome act," Khanna said.
The brutal crime unleashed a wave of protests across India and sparked a national debate about the treatment of women in the country.
The sentences must be confirmed by Indian's high court. The four can also appeal.
They were found guilty on September 10 of the December 2012 attack on a 23-year-old woman, who later died of her injuries.
Judge Yogesh Khanna told the court in the Indian capital, New Delhi, that the case fell into the "rarest-of-rare category," which justified hanging.
"In these times, when crimes against women are on the rise, the court cannot turn a blind eye to this gruesome act," Khanna said.
The brutal crime unleashed a wave of protests across India and sparked a national debate about the treatment of women in the country.
