Indian gang-rape victim dies in Singapore hospital
SINGAPORE (AP) — A young Indian woman who was gang-raped and severely beaten on a bus died Saturday at a Singapore hospital, after her horrific ordeal galvanized 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, Dr. Kevin Loh, the chief executive of Mount Elizabeth hospital, said in a statement.
After 10 days at a hospital in the Indian capital of New Delhi, where the attack occurred, the victim was brought Thursday to Mount Elizabeth hospital, which specializes in multi-organ transplant. Loh said the woman had remained in extremely critical condition since Thursday, and by late Friday her condition had taken a turn for the worse and her vital signs had deteriorated.
"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," Loh 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."
The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were traveling on a bus in New Delhi after watching a film on the evening of Dec. 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. The men also beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into the woman's body, resulting in severe organ damage. Both 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 the hospital in India.
Indian High Commissioner, or ambassador, T.C.A. Raghavan told reporters that the scale of the injuries she suffered was "very grave" and in the end "proved too much."
He said arrangements were being made to take her body back to India.
The frightening nature of the crime shocked Indians, who have come out in the thousands for almost daily demonstrations. Indian television channels said security had been tightened in New Delhi on Sunday in anticipation of more protests following the woman's death.
The protesters are demanding stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape, which is now punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport to rape.
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.
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 provocative.
On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a national lawmaker and the son of India's president, apologized 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 state 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 accusations he refused to register a rape complaint from a woman who said she had been attacked by a driver.
___
Associated Press writers Faris Mokhtar and Ravi Nessman in New Delhi contributed to this report.
She "passed away peacefully" with her family and officials of the Indian Embassy by her side, Dr. Kevin Loh, the chief executive of Mount Elizabeth hospital, said in a statement.
After 10 days at a hospital in the Indian capital of New Delhi, where the attack occurred, the victim was brought Thursday to Mount Elizabeth hospital, which specializes in multi-organ transplant. Loh said the woman had remained in extremely critical condition since Thursday, and by late Friday her condition had taken a turn for the worse and her vital signs had deteriorated.
"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," Loh 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."
The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were traveling on a bus in New Delhi after watching a film on the evening of Dec. 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. The men also beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into the woman's body, resulting in severe organ damage. Both 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 the hospital in India.
Indian High Commissioner, or ambassador, T.C.A. Raghavan told reporters that the scale of the injuries she suffered was "very grave" and in the end "proved too much."
He said arrangements were being made to take her body back to India.
The frightening nature of the crime shocked Indians, who have come out in the thousands for almost daily demonstrations. Indian television channels said security had been tightened in New Delhi on Sunday in anticipation of more protests following the woman's death.
The protesters are demanding stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape, which is now punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport to rape.
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.
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 provocative.
On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a national lawmaker and the son of India's president, apologized 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 state 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 accusations he refused to register a rape complaint from a woman who said she had been attacked by a driver.
___
Associated Press writers Faris Mokhtar and Ravi Nessman in New Delhi contributed to this report.
hang them
This makes me sick. I feel sorry for the family of the girl. Women in Seattle's Slut Walk should all get on a plane to India and protest there. The KATU site is still displaying pictures of that walk. A lot of women don't realize how good they have it here. If I was the father or brother of that woman I would hunt down those cowards and make them pay. What would Gandhi do?
 @The Resistance Well, I'm pretty sure Gandhi wouldn't  hunt down those cowards and make them pay.
Such a sad, sad, story. Â Her life, had she survived would have been one of mental and emotional torture. Â Part of me wishes even her body not be returned to the country where she was harmed so grievously but I know there are good people in India, too. Â Difficult to comprehend how a country who produced Mahatma Gandhi and had the first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also produces such hateful people bound by history, fear, caste, and welfare. Â If Mother Teresa were alive, she'd say to forgive the perpetrators. Â I'd rather they simply rot in hell after suffering a long, torturous life after paying restitution for the life that never will be...
I have visited India. Anyone who thinks is a first-world country is grossly mistaken. It's a 3rd-world backwater at the very best.Â
Why is this even news over here? We need to be able to take are of our own before we worry about other countries.
 @JLO Because how we treat people in other countries or how it is perceived that we treat them matters.
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A lot of cults feed on the hatred of the US for its lack of compassion and caring in other developing countries. Â They DO think our streets are paved with gold relatively speaking. Â They don't realize we have homeless people, sick people, poor people, people here in need. Â They don't hear those stories. Â They hear the US offers salvation while they sit starving to death waiting for rescue. Â They don't know that the grains we drop are stolen by the rich elite and never given to the starving poor.
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Some of the 9-11 attackers were actually fed this line of BS. Â It is fairly common knowledge in many African countries that these tactics are used to train the disenfranchised youth in rebelling against their country and against US aide workers. Â It is even true of the Taliban.
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This hatred brews up and rears its ugly head against US citizens abroad -- regardless of being there for pleasure or work or to simply provide the aide these people DO need. Â If I'm not mistaken, some of the embassy bombings and the USS Cole bombing included people trained by terrorists to attack against the uncaring Americans.
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So, if you care about American and its citizens you HAVE to care about the world. Â If you don't, we're not going to last as a country.
If anyone should be put to death it's this group of people. The beat and raped a person they deserve to die. Before you all says no think of this. What if it was your child, sister, mother or friend wouldn't you want to see justice done? Well this is the justice they deserve.
@Thebigbadwolf I don't think you will get much argument here. This group of sub-human "men" have shown their contempt for women AND life, how can they deserve anything less than what they gave?