Indian gang rape victim dies in Singapore hospital, protests likely

The Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, where the Indian rape victim died today.
The Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore, where the Indian rape victim died today.

The Indian gang rape victim, who was raped and assaulted in a moving bus by six persons on December 16, succumbed to injuries in a Singapore hospital early Saturday.

New Delhi, Dec 29/Nationalturk – The 23-year-old female student, who was gang raped and brutally assaulted by six men in a moving bus in Indian capital (New Delhi) on December 16, succumbed to injuries in a Singapore hospital on Saturday.

The gang rape victim was airlifted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore on Thursday (December 27) morning for specialized treatment.

“A team of eight specialists in Hospital had attended to the gang-rape victim. However, despite their best efforts, her condition deteriorated over the past two days. We are very sad to report that the patient passed away peacefully at 4.45 am (Singapore time) on December 29,” Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s Chief Executive Dr Kelvin Loh said in a statement, according to Singapore newspaper, The Straits Times.

He said 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”.

Kelvin said the 23-year-old female’s family and officials from Indian High Commission were by her side.

The doctors at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital said the victim before her death had shown signs of severe organ failure despite the doctors putting her on maximum artificial ventilator support and optimal antibiotic doses.

“The Mount Elizabeth Hospital team of doctors, nurses and staff join her family in mourning her loss. We share their huge sadness at her passing and will work with the High Commission of India to provide the family support in this time of grief,” Kelvin said.

The 23-year-old female paramedical student was brutally gang raped in a moving bus by six persons in Indian capital New Delhi on December 16. Later, the rapists beat the victim and her male friend with iron rods and dumped them in a semi-naked condition on the road.  All the accused have been arrested.

After the assault, she remained admitted in Safdarjang Hospital, Delhi for more than 11 days and was flown to Singapore hospital on December 27.

Her death has been mourned by all sections of society in India. People cutting across party lines and ideologies condoled her demise and demanded harsh punishment including death sentence to the rapists.

Meanwhile, the security apparatus across India especially in Indian capital has been beefed up following gang rape victim’s death. The Indian government is anticipating massive protests and demonstrations against her death.

Victim wanted to live

According to media reports, the gang rape victim had told her brother and mother that she wanted to live when they first met her on December 19, three days after she was brutally gangraped and assaulted in a moving bus.

According to doctors, during the entire process of her treatment, the victim remained communicative through signs most of the time, spoke to her parents and gave statements to a magistrate not once but twice. “She was courageous and brave throughout the treatment period and even expressed some thoughts about her future when psychiatrists assessed her thrice during her 10-day treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital,” they said.

Indian Prime Minister saddened

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of the gang-rape victim and expressed the hope that the entire political class and civil society will set aside narrow sectional interests and agenda to make India a demonstrably safer place to live in.

Stating that he has been deeply saddened by the death of the girl, he said it would be a true homage to her memory if the emotions and energies of the youth generated by the brutal assault on her are channelised into a constructive course of action.

Singh said the need of the hour is a dispassionate debate and inquiry into the critical changes that are required in societal attitudes.  “Government was examining on priority basis the penal provisions that exist for such crimes and measures to enhance the safety and security of women”.

He said he prays for the peace of the departed soul and hoped that her family will have the strength to bear this grievous loss.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

 

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