In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 photo, parents protest outside a school after news of the rape of a minor student in Vasco, in the southern Indian state of Goa. The seven-year-old girl was sexually abused inside the school premise Monday, police said. (AP Photo)
January 14, 2013 - 10:06 PM
NEW DELHI - Defence lawyers say a suspect in the gang rape and slaying of a young woman on a New Delhi bus will appear in a hearing intended to determine whether he is a juvenile.
If the suspect is 17, as he claims, he will be tried in a juvenile court and face up to three years in a reform facility if found guilty. A conviction as an adult could bring the death penalty.
The hearing is expected Tuesday, defence lawyers said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of a judge's gag order on the case.
Five men also have been charged in the case, though one of them also claims to be a minor.
The woman died of internal injuries. The attack sparked outrage over widespread violence against India's women.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013