Protests across India continue after rape and murder of female trainee medic
The rising crisis of rape and sexual assault in India has once again plunged the country into nationwide protests - Ian woods reports
Thousands of junior doctors continue to strike across India to demand better protection for health workers after a trainee medic was raped and murdered in eastern West Bengal state.
The woman's body was found last Friday with multiple injuries and signs of sexual assault in Kolkata, eastern India, local police said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was shocked to learn the trainee doctor had been killed in the hospital and backed protesters’ calls for the case to be fast tracked.
One suspect has been arrested in connection with the case.
Many government hospitals across India have stopped providing non-emergency services.
Medical associations in multiple states called for the case to be fast-tracked through the courts.
Images showed doctors in Kolkata holding signs reading: “Women lives matter” and "Doctors' lives matter too".
In the southern city of Hyderabad, doctors held a candlelight vigil.
A survey in 2015 by the Indian Medical Association found that 75% of doctors in India had faced some form of violence, local media reported at the time.
“The murder of this young lady doctor is not the first, neither it would be the last if corrective measures are not taken,” the association said in a letter to the health minister, posted on X on Monday, as it called for an enquiry into doctors’ working conditions and an impartial investigation of the brutal murder case.
India has struggled for years to tackle high rates of violence against women, with a number of high-profile rape cases drawing international attention to the issue.
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 31,516 rape cases were recorded in 2022, an average of 86 cases per day.
Experts also warn that the number of cases recorded are just a small fraction of what may be the real number, in a deeply patriarchal country where shame and stigma surround rape victims and their families.
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India’s most infamous case in recent years was arguably the 2012 gang-rape of a medical student who was beaten, tortured and left to die following a brutal attack on a public bus in New Delhi.
The case and ensuing nationwide protests drew international media scrutiny, and prompted authorities to enact legal reforms.
The rape law was amended in 2013 to broaden the definition of the crime and set strict punishments not only for rape but also for sexual assault, voyeurism, and stalking.
Despite these changes, rape cases remain prevalent in the country – with victims and advocates saying the government is still not doing enough to protect women and punish attackers.
If you have been affected by anything in this article, help and advice can be found in the following places:
The Open Justice for All website
SARCs, a specialist medical and forensic services for anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted.
Rape crisis - A national organisation which offers support and counselling for those affected by rape and sexual abuse.
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