Indian gang rape accused formally charged

NEW DELHI - Agence France-Presse

Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan activists shout slogans during a protest at Saket District Court in New Delhi on January 3, 2013. A gang of men accused of repeatedly raping a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in a deadly crime that repulsed the nation are to appear in court for the first time. AFP Photo

Five men were formally charged in court today with the gang rape and murder of an Indian physiotherapy student, in a case that has generated widespread anger about the government's inability to prevent violence against women.
 
The Dec. 16 attack on the 23-year-old physiotherapy student and a male companion provoked furious protests close to the seat of government in New Delhi and has fuelled a nationwide debate about the prevalence of sexual crimes in India, where a rape is reported on average every 20 minutes.
 
The five men are accused of assaulting the 23-year-old on a bus in New Delhi, leaving her with such severe injuries that she died two weeks later, in hospital in Singapore, where she was taken for treatment.
 
A sixth accused is under 18 and is due to be tried separately in a juvenile court.