2012 Delhi gang rape: Youngest rapist released despite protests by victim 'Nirbhaya' Jyoti Singh's family

The youngest of the six men convicted for the gang-rape and murder of paramedic student Jyoti Singh in Delhi in 2012 has been freed from a correctional centre amid protests.

The rapist's lawyer confirmed to the BBC he had been released, despite legal challenges and protests from the victim's parents. The convict, who cannot be named as he was juvenile at the time the crime took place, was sentenced to three years in a rehabilitation facility in August 2013.

Singh, nicknamed dubbed Nirbhaya meaning "fearless", was gang-raped and fatally assaulted by five men and a teenage boy on a bus on 16 December 2012. The youngest attacker, released today, was just shy of his 18th birthday when the incident took place.

The rapist has been handed over to a charity for his protection. A BBC correspondent has confirmed his identity will be changed and no record of his crime will remain in the public domain.

Although Indian law prevents the naming of rape victims, Singh's mother Asha Devi revealed her daughter's name at an event marking the anniversary of the assault.

"My daughter's name was Jyoti Singh and I am not ashamed to name her. Those who commit heinous crimes like rape, their heads should hang in shame, not the victims or their families," she said in Hindi.

India's watershed gang rape case triggered protests across India and sparked a global outcry advocating greater protection of women's rights.