"No Lesson Learned"... Outrage in India Over Trainee Doctor's Rape and Murder in Hospital

Hospital Staff Rapes and Kills Trainee
Indian Citizens and Doctors Take to the Streets
Victim's Father: "Not Safe Even at Work"
Frequent Sexual Assaults, Inadequate Prevention and Punishment

On the 13th (local time), citizens took to the streets in Kolkata, India, holding placards and protesting in connection with the case of a female medical intern who was raped and murdered. [EPA=Yonhap News]

Across India, outrage is growing after a female medical resident was raped and murdered at a hospital in India.

According to local media such as the Hindustan Times and Navhind Times on the 14th, a 31-year-old resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata, India, was raped and died on the 9th. It is known that she was attacked while resting after a meal, and signs of sexual assault were confirmed on the body. The police arrested an employee of the hospital as a suspect.

In response, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) initiated an indefinite strike. They stated in a press release, "This decision was not made lightly. We demand a swift and thorough investigation and punishment." Sarvesh Pandey, FORDA’s Secretary General, added, "Currently, about 300,000 doctors have joined the strike. The number is expected to increase."

On the 13th (local time), citizens took to the streets in Kolkata, India, holding placards and protesting in connection with the case of a female trainee doctor who was raped and murdered. [EPA=Yonhap News]

The victim’s father expressed his grief, saying, "I gave my daughter a car to ensure her safe return home since she worked late at the hospital. But even at her workplace, she was not guaranteed safety."

Later, on the 14th, FORDA met with the Union Health Minister and announced, "We will call off the strike as our demands have been accepted." Minister JP Nada stated, "We recognize the seriousness of the incident and promise to provide a safe working environment for doctors."

India has long been notorious for frequent sexual crimes. In 2012, a woman on a bus in New Delhi was gang-raped and murdered by several men. This incident led India to expand definitions of sexual crimes and revise punishments, but it remains a chronic unresolved issue. According to government statistics, approximately 31,500 rape cases were reported in 2022 alone.