Gang-rape victim's father says he wants her named

The father of an Indian woman whose brutal rape and torture provoked international outrage said in an interview published on Sunday that he wanted her name to be made public so she could be an inspiration to other victims of sexual assault.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy student died on December 28 in a Singapore hospital, two weeks after a gang rape on a bus in New Delhi that ignited street protests across India and prompted promises from the government for tougher punishments for offenders. "We want the world to know her real name," the woman's father told Britain's Sunday People newspaper.

"My daughter didn't do anything wrong, she died while protecting herself," he added. "I am proud of her. Revealing her name will give courage to other women who have survived these attacks. They will find strength from my daughter." The paper named the father and his daughter, saying that the father had given his permission, but added that it would not publish a photo of her at the family's request. The father had already called for new legislation on sex crimes to be named in honour of his daughter.

Five men have been charged with her gang rape and murder and will appear in a New Delhi court on Monday.

(Reporting by Tim Castle)