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Protecting women from deceitful men or criminalizing break-ups? A new law in India stirs debate <a href="https://advokat-malov.ru/">юрист по наследственным делам</a><br>Men who deceitfully break off promises of marriage after having sex with a woman could face up to 10 years in prison, as Indian law grapples with a widespread but often ignored form of sexual abuse.<br><br>But the new law has also provoked questions about how it will be applied, whether it can effectively protect women from sexual exploitation and whether it risks criminalizing break-ups.<br><br>Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government introduced a new criminal code in early July, replacing India’s 164-year-old colonial-era penal code.<br><br>Section 69 of the new statute criminalizes having sex with a woman “by making a promise to marry (her) without any intention of” doing so, or by “deceitful means” such as falsely promising career advancement or marrying under a fake identity.<br><br>The crime is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.<br><br>Though the law is new, the concept is not – many women have previously brought such cases to court, accusing men of luring them into sexual relationships by dangling promises of marriage.<br><br>Indian society has generally conservative attitudes towards sex, with a strong emphasis on female virginity and often pricy dowry negotiations attached to unions. Premarital and extramarital sex therefore remain taboo for many – and any suggestion of impropriety may make it more difficult for a woman to secure a marriage.<br><br>Audrey Dmello, director of Majlis Law, a women’s rights NGO in India, supports the new law. She argues “promise to marry” rape cases are under-reported and needed to be tackled through legislation.<br><br>“Having such a law gives women validity as to what happened to them,” she told CNN.<br>