NEW DELHI—The victim of a gang rape earlier this month in India's capital that prompted widespread rage and a national debate over the treatment of women died in a Singapore hospital Friday, according to her doctors.
A statement by Singapore's Mount Elizabeth hospital where the 23-year-old victim was being treated said she "died peacefully" in the early hours of Saturday.
The woman, who hasn't been identified but is in her early 20s, was airlifted to Singapore earlier this week to receive specialist care after she received treatment for her injuries in a New Delhi hospital that included the removal of much of her intestines.
She was raped and assaulted by a group of men on a moving bus as it drove around India's capital on the night of Dec. 16. A male companion was badly beaten trying to defend her. Six men, including the bus driver, have been arrested and charged with offenses including rape and kidnapping, according to Delhi police.
The incident exposed a brutish and chauvinistic side of a nation that is frequently portrayed world-wide as a rapidly-growing democracy that respects personal freedom and is full of aspiration-filled young people, especially when compared with the intolerance toward women elsewhere in the region, notably in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The rape sparked angry demonstrations last weekend over the perceived incompetence of the police in protecting women in India's chaotic capital, where incidents of rape, sexual abuse and sexual harassment are frequently reported.
Many of those in the initial protests were young students, like the rape victim. A police clampdown on the protests with tear gas and water cannons further fanned the outrage.
So have comments from politicians that appear insensitive to the plight of women in deeply patriarchal northern India. That has sparked a backlash on television news channels, newspaper opinion pages and social media against the tight security and privilege enjoyed by a male-dominated, elderly political class compared with the vulnerability of ordinary women that the incident exposed.
On Thursday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a member of Parliament for the ruling Congress party and the son of India's president, Pranab Mukherjee, attracted widespread condemnation when he suggested that some of those involved in the protests appeared to be "dented-painted" women rather than students, an apparent reference to the older age of some protesters. The euphemism is typically used for cars that have been damaged and touched up. He added that it had become fashionable to attend protests, candles in hand.
Mr. Mukherjee later in the day apologized and withdrew the remarks in a series of prime-time television interviews but not before being lambasted by presenters for his insensitivity and criticized on live television by his own sister.
Also on Thursday, in a speech before a meeting of state chief ministers on development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh singled out the issue of women's safety as a major concern as women become a greater part of the workforce and change from their traditional roles of housewives rarely seen in public at night alone.
"Women and girls represent half the population and our society hasn't been fair to this half," Mr. Singh told the National Development Council. "The emergence of women in public spaces, which is an absolutely essential part of social emancipation, is accompanied by growing threats to their safety and security."
The government has said it would fast-track the trials of the alleged rapists and strengthen laws to combat crimes against women. There also is a proposal for the creation of a national database for convicted rapists.
The protests had largely fizzled by Friday. But the rape as a flash point for broader anger against the government and the police hasn't.
Television channels on Friday reported on the suicide of a young woman earlier this week in the northwestern state of Punjab after police allegedly ignored her when she complained that she was gang-raped in November.
And government officials continue to face criticism for being slow to engage with a younger generation that is demanding better security and a more responsive government.
On Friday—almost two weeks after the rape and almost one week after protests began— Sonia Gandhi, president of the ruling Congress party and the nation's most powerful politician, appeared before cameras to talk about the incident for the first time.
She told reporters that the government will ensure the perpetrators of the rape are brought to justice.
In Singapore, meanwhile, the rape victim's condition has steadily deteriorated. Her doctors at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital on Friday evening issued a statement saying that her condition has taken "a turn for the worse" and her "vital signs are deteriorating with signs of severe organ failure" despite her being on "maximum artificial ventilation support."
It added: "Her family members have been informed that her condition has deteriorated and they are currently by her side to encourage and comfort her."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323530404578207560544876942.html
A statement by Singapore's Mount Elizabeth hospital where the 23-year-old victim was being treated said she "died peacefully" in the early hours of Saturday.
The woman, who hasn't been identified but is in her early 20s, was airlifted to Singapore earlier this week to receive specialist care after she received treatment for her injuries in a New Delhi hospital that included the removal of much of her intestines.
She was raped and assaulted by a group of men on a moving bus as it drove around India's capital on the night of Dec. 16. A male companion was badly beaten trying to defend her. Six men, including the bus driver, have been arrested and charged with offenses including rape and kidnapping, according to Delhi police.
The incident exposed a brutish and chauvinistic side of a nation that is frequently portrayed world-wide as a rapidly-growing democracy that respects personal freedom and is full of aspiration-filled young people, especially when compared with the intolerance toward women elsewhere in the region, notably in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The rape sparked angry demonstrations last weekend over the perceived incompetence of the police in protecting women in India's chaotic capital, where incidents of rape, sexual abuse and sexual harassment are frequently reported.
Many of those in the initial protests were young students, like the rape victim. A police clampdown on the protests with tear gas and water cannons further fanned the outrage.
So have comments from politicians that appear insensitive to the plight of women in deeply patriarchal northern India. That has sparked a backlash on television news channels, newspaper opinion pages and social media against the tight security and privilege enjoyed by a male-dominated, elderly political class compared with the vulnerability of ordinary women that the incident exposed.
On Thursday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a member of Parliament for the ruling Congress party and the son of India's president, Pranab Mukherjee, attracted widespread condemnation when he suggested that some of those involved in the protests appeared to be "dented-painted" women rather than students, an apparent reference to the older age of some protesters. The euphemism is typically used for cars that have been damaged and touched up. He added that it had become fashionable to attend protests, candles in hand.
Mr. Mukherjee later in the day apologized and withdrew the remarks in a series of prime-time television interviews but not before being lambasted by presenters for his insensitivity and criticized on live television by his own sister.
Also on Thursday, in a speech before a meeting of state chief ministers on development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh singled out the issue of women's safety as a major concern as women become a greater part of the workforce and change from their traditional roles of housewives rarely seen in public at night alone.
"Women and girls represent half the population and our society hasn't been fair to this half," Mr. Singh told the National Development Council. "The emergence of women in public spaces, which is an absolutely essential part of social emancipation, is accompanied by growing threats to their safety and security."
The government has said it would fast-track the trials of the alleged rapists and strengthen laws to combat crimes against women. There also is a proposal for the creation of a national database for convicted rapists.
The protests had largely fizzled by Friday. But the rape as a flash point for broader anger against the government and the police hasn't.
Television channels on Friday reported on the suicide of a young woman earlier this week in the northwestern state of Punjab after police allegedly ignored her when she complained that she was gang-raped in November.
And government officials continue to face criticism for being slow to engage with a younger generation that is demanding better security and a more responsive government.
On Friday—almost two weeks after the rape and almost one week after protests began— Sonia Gandhi, president of the ruling Congress party and the nation's most powerful politician, appeared before cameras to talk about the incident for the first time.
She told reporters that the government will ensure the perpetrators of the rape are brought to justice.
In Singapore, meanwhile, the rape victim's condition has steadily deteriorated. Her doctors at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital on Friday evening issued a statement saying that her condition has taken "a turn for the worse" and her "vital signs are deteriorating with signs of severe organ failure" despite her being on "maximum artificial ventilation support."
It added: "Her family members have been informed that her condition has deteriorated and they are currently by her side to encourage and comfort her."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323530404578207560544876942.html