Indian rape victim dies in hospital
A group of people stands in front of ambulances outside the entrance of the Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore on early Dec 29, 2012. — Photo by AFP
SINGAPORE: A young Indian woman who was gang-raped and severely beaten on a bus died Saturday at a Singapore hospital, after her horrific ordeal galvanised Indians to demand greater protection for women from sexual violence that impacts thousands of them every day.
She “passed away peacefully” with her family and officials of the Indian embassy by her side,” said Dr Kevin Loh, the chief executive of Mount Elizabeth hospital where she had been treated since Thursday. “The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss,” he said in a statement.
He said the woman had remained in an extremely critical condition since Thursday when she was flown to Singapore from India.
“Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth Hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days. She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome.”
The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were traveling in a public bus in the Indian capital, New Delhi, after watching a film on the evening of Dec 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. They also beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into her body resulting in severe organ damage. Both of them were then stripped and thrown off the bus, according to police.
Indian police have arrested six people in connection with the attack, which left the victim with severe internal injuries, a lung infection and brain damage. She also suffered from a heart attack while in hospital in India.
Indian High Commissioner, or ambassador, T C A Raghanvan told reporters that the scale of the injuries she suffered was “very grave” and in the end it “proved too much”.
He said arrangements are being made to take her body back to India.
The frightening nature of the crime shocked Indians, who have come out in thousands for almost daily demonstrations, demanding stronger protection for women and death penalty for rape, which is now punishable by a maximum life imprisonment. Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport to rape.
But the tragedy has forced India to confront the reality that sexually assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, which forces them to keep quiet and not report it to authorities for fear of exposing their families to ridicule. Also, police often refuse to accept complaints from those who are courageous enough to report the rapes and the rare prosecutions that reach courts drag on for years.
After 10 days at a New Delhi hospital, the victim was brought to the Mount Elizabeth hospital, which specialises in multi-organ transplant. But by late Friday, the young woman’s condition had “taken a turn for the worse” and her vital signs had deteriorated. It was clear then that she would not survive long.
Indian attitudes toward rape are so entrenched that even politicians and opinion makers have often suggested that women should not go out at night or wear clothes that might be seen as provocative.
Other politicians have come under fire for comments insulting protesters and diminishing the crime.
On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a national lawmaker and the son of India’s president, apologised for calling the protesters “highly dented and painted” women, who go from discos to demonstrations.
“I tender my unconditional apology to all the people whose sentiments got hurt,” he told NDTV news.
Separately, authorities in Punjab took action Thursday when an 18-year-old woman killed herself by drinking poison a month after she told police she was gang-raped.
State authorities suspended one police officer and fired two others on accusations they delayed investigating and taking action in the case. The three accused in the rape were only arrested Thursday night, a month after the crime was reported.
“This is a very sensitive crime, I have taken it very seriously,” said Paramjit Singh Gill, a top police officer in the city of Patiala.
The Press Trust of India reported that the woman was raped Nov 13 and reported the attack to police Nov 27. But police harassed the girl, asked her embarrassing questions and took no action against the accused, PTI reported, citing police sources.
Authorities in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh also suspended a police officer on the accusations that he refused to register a rape complaint from a woman who said she had been attacked by a driver.
Now talk about laws against capital punishment for such a brutal act. I can’t stop crying for that poor girl. My God I am shocked. RIP baitee. We have failed you. Let gov’ts everywhere in the world learn that these kind of acts are punishable by stoning to death. Then we’ll see if this ever happens again. With love from Pakistan. May God keep our (Pakistani and Indian and everywhere else) jaan pyaar angels safe. Ameen.
we have to concede that pakistan is a safer place for women.we need sharia in india.
Bro a lot of new years parties were cancelled here in Pakistan to commemorate Damini. This kind of brutal savagery has left a lot of us with sleepless nights. If I ever have a daughter, her name will be Damini.
I salute this girl for her courage and gumption during her medical struggle and also thank her for inspiring me and lot other people to say enough is enough and stand for injustice…she may have departed physically but her soul would always exist in our hearts and i pray for her peace wherever she may be…administration / govt / authorities have to WAKE UP now and walk the talk with actions…no more lip service please!!
I salute this girl for her courage and gumption during her medical struggle and also thank her for inspiring me and lot other people to say enough is enough and stand for injustice…she may have departed physically but her soul would always exist in our hearts and i pray for her peace wherever she may be…administration / govt / authorities have to WAKE UP now and talk the walk with actions…no more lip service please!!
Very Sad indeed. Please the concerned authorities in Pakistan take notice that this kind of incidence does not happen there. Every day outside every girls’ schools & colleges the leaders of the future and other criminal elements chase, abuse and misbehave with the females and the authorities do nothing. Just go there one day at the closing time and watch. Girls who walk or travel alone are especially harassed. Some of them even quit because they cannot take it anymore. Time to wake up. Usually these men are well connected and they do not fear the law. Lets see something happening.
The police took action in Faisalabad for which they should be commended but this needs to be consistent and throughout the country.
Very sad. The culprits should be hanged publically or at the most not allowed to see the world beyond four walls of their prison cell for the rest of their life.
My heart is crying for that young woman. Her only crime was a being a women in male dominated society. Every Pakistani feel very sorry for the loss of her life. We are standing by our Indian brothers who want to see change in our male dominated societies God bless her! Let’s not let her blood spill in vain. Let’s make a change that is lasting.
As an Indian I appreciate very much you and other Pakistanis sharing our pain and grief. The brave victim is a daughter of S.Asia. I am very sad and sorry that humanity is disappearing from our lands. Where women are objectified and males are conditioned from childhood to disrespect women will breed rapists and criminals in the long run. Coupled with official apathy from police and carelessness by politicians common people feel crushed and powerless. The solution is people standing shoulder to shoulder and demanding action from the authorities.
shame. very brutal,act
Rape is a crime and the person who is involved in doing this severe crime should be hanged till death; no matter which country or ethnicity it belongs to–
Am ashamed ..girl u shown us the mirror how we are behaving with our ladies.u r not only assaulted by those 6 man..we all are responsible for ur demise..RIP brave girl
RIP ! I am deeply saddened. Peoples’ struggle against this opression should continue and culprits should be taken to the gallows.
I think the criminals should be handed over death penalty, and this should be done soon. Their crime was too grave to be forgiven. And life imprisonment will be forgiveness.
“Justice delayed, is Justice denied.” The judicial system must now rely on available ‘prima facie’ physical evidence of the crime and not wait for witnesses and testimonies. Since, the criminals are in custody, the confessions will be sufficient to do justice by hanging until dead. Three days is more than enough for the trial. This crime is too horrific and unbearable to read. May she rest in Paradise.
Three days for trial? Ajmal Amir Kasab’s trial took 2 years when he was seen committing his crime by hundreds of people and captured on CCTV. We Indians treat criminals like honoured guests and ensure that they don’t feel any discomfort like breaking of the neck during hanging. In June 2012 death sentence of six prisnors was commuted to life imprisonment by the President. These peoples were convicted crimes including rape and murder of a 5 year old girl in on case and that of a 6 year old girl in another case. We are paying the price for being a soft society.
R.I.P. Brave Girl of India!!! Her death is the result of Fearlessness of Police prevailing in India… Praying and Hoping we indians come together and force the Govt to make strict laws…..
Robin
New Delhi
Laws are already strict. It is the implementation that is the issue.
May God Bless the departed SOUL. I hope her male companion is not ridiculed. Hope Government of India helps all victims of rape.
At last few of the crimes are reported.Now more will follow.
May she rest in peace!! I think it is time to change the way we look and treat these crimes. Shame on all of us!! When will be change?
OOOOO daughters of Eve, we are ashamed. We have failed you once again. While, Our hearts are bleeding,our heads are bowed in shame for letting you down.
Damini RIP…..sad day for the country……hope that you get justice
Horrific!!!!!!!!! and the mindset of the politicians is shameless and they will have no remorse, humans can stoop so low even animals must be fearing for the well being of their off-springs in the world they are leaving them!!!
RIP my dear sister.. Hope Indian Govt. wakes up now & makes stringent laws to deter such crimes against women & protect our mothers, sisters, wife and daughters..
Deeply Saddened
These men on the bus were the mirror image of home invaders who break down your front doors and rape and murder your wives and daughters. They make you drink drain cleaner while the watch. That is why Americans are proud to carry guns and keep them in their homes.
There is a Hawaiian proverb: “You eat Life or Life eats you.”
You clean up crime or crime will feast on you. There are more Eve Teasers in India and Pakistan than America has people. What we know is that putting your hands on women, peeking in bedroom windows, men exposing themselves – this all escalates into rape and murder eventually.
Just ask your local criminologist. These men are too sick to get well or be rehabilitated.
Mr. Howell, this is where i do not agree to your views on gun control but this is not the forum to talk about it !
Delhi gang rape victim dies at Singapore hospital. Her condition was extremely critical as her intestines were removed. She was also suffering from organ failure, heart attack, brain injury, lung infection, internal bleeding and sudden drop in blood pressure. RIP Sister.. RIP Humanity..
Islam has death penalty for rape, but of course it is considered ‘barbaric’ by the rest of the world. Also, Amnesty International is fighting the ‘death penalty’ for any kind of case…Very unintelligent for a great organization like Amnesty…
Bro but the problem is death penalty can not be done more than once. People who did this act deserve severe torture.
You are right Ahmed. Stoned them till death
Death sentence is too mild a punishment. IN such cases, “eye for an eye” is well justified. Just do unto them what they did to the girl and leave them on the road to die.
What exactly is the reason for these rapes of women in India? Is it caste? Religion? Dislike of women or perhaps just plain old sadistic ignorance…
It is very sad for such a disgusting act. Islamic laws like stoning to death eliminates such crimes from Islamic countires like Saudi Arabia. I hope Pakistani behave better with their women. Islam pays highest regards to women as a result majority of converts are women. God tell us there is heaven under the feet of a woman.
The solution to rape is not hiding women behind a burkha and denying them their freedoms in the name of religion. The emancipation of women lies not in archaic religious fundamentals, but in strong laws, a swift justice delivery system and an acceptance of equal rights of a woman.
Completely agree with you
well said, Vineeth.
What exactly is your point ? Are more ignorant or dumb to ask a question of caste or religion on this sensitive topic ? Any idea how women were treated by the great kings who attacked India from “Maghrib” ? Any idea about their religion ?
Though majority of Pakistani comments are very sensitive, and that touched me a lot! But this comment is so pathetic, I wonder where is Dawn’s moderator now who blocks every other comment of mine ??