Female doctors are badly needed for medical examination of rape victims
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Jharna Moni of News Network
PAYEL Islam, a class VIII student of Srimongol in Sylhet, returns home from school in the evening everyday and falls victim to eaveteasers. Payel does not feel like disclosing it to her parents lest they stop her studies. But one evening, the worst possible thing happened to the teenager.
On her return home, a local wayward youth found her in a desolate spot near a tea garden and fled the scene, leaving her in a pool of blood. Later, some tea garden workers took her to local hospital.
Though the evidence of rape is clear, a medical certificate is necessary for launching a legal battle. This certificate is issued only after a medical examination is conducted by female doctors and for that the victim has to be undressed fully. But, Payel's mom is not ready to do that.
"My daughter has already suffered. And to prove the offence I don't want the repeat of the rape by allowing, male doctors to examine her whole body," says the distressed mother. For the refusal of medical examination, the case of Payel (not her real name) did not go to court and the rapist was let off the hook.
Alo, an 18-year-old daughter of Ramiz All of a remote village in Barisal, faced the same fate of Payel. She was violated by Rasel, a local thug. A day after rape, Ramiz took Alo (Name changed to protect privacy) to Barisal Medical College Hospital for medical examination, but she did not allow male doctors to examine her.
There are many instances where rape-related crimes in Bangladesh cannot reach courts, as victims do not want to be examined by male doctors, allowing the rapists to go unpunished.
What is rape?
The existing law defines rape as having sex forcibly with a woman by a man without her consent.
In Bangladesh many rape incidents go unreported for various reasons. A rape victim becomes unwarranted in society if the incident is made public and there are some people who blame the victim, not the rapist, for the offence. And many women commit suicide after rape out of shame.
According to a monitoring report prepared by Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, during 1997-2001 period, some 1,656 women were raped, 614 gang-raped, 53 raped after promise of marriage and 159 murdered after rape. In 2006, some 549 rape incidents took place in the country, 249 were victims of gang-rape and 170 women were killed after rape.
Executive director of National Women Lawyers' Association Salma Ali says: "The actual figure of rape incidents is much higher than what we can see in newspapers."
An analysis of the incidents that took place in the past few years shows most of the rape victims are from illiterate and poor classes. Exceptions are also there. Women belonging to middle and upper classes also fall victims to rape. But, the rate is much lower than that of the lower-class families.
Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 ensures stringent punishment up to death for rape-related crimes. And, women leaders, human nights activists, lawyers and civil society members have no problem with the law. But, their complaints are about medical examinations after rape.
Medical examinations are required for taking any legal actions against rapists. But, forensic departments of the country's hospitals do not have enough female doctors to conduct the medical examinations. So, it is done by male doctors, which many consider as a second rape.
"Conducting medical examination by male doctors is undoubtedly tantamount to a second rape. First time, a woman is raped physically and during medical examinations, she is raped psychologically," says Sanjeeda Akhter, a teacher of Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies department.
According to information provided from Forensic Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), four to five rape victims come to the hospital everyday on average for medical examinations. Prior to examinations, the victim or her guardian has to sign on a blank paper giving consent to all types of medical examinations.
Many are found unwilling to be examined by male doctors. Therefore, many guardians take their girls back without examinations. Recently, Reshma (not her real name) of Dhaka's Amin Bazaar went back from hospital without being examined by male doctors. "I was raped once. Now, I don't want to expose my naked body in front of male doctors," says Reshma, who also wanted the perpetrator to be punished. But, seeing the examination methods, she changed her mind. Now she does not want justice.
The doctors at Forensic department of the DMCH admit that some women do go back home without being examined. They claim the rate is very low. They also say that their main job is to prove how one is victimised. And these examinations are done showing due respect to the women. Besides, a female employee remains present during the examinations.
Experts say different examinations are very important to identify the rapists and get them punished. As said earlier, many women do not want to get examined by male doctors and there is a huge shortage of female forensic doctors.
There are only five female doctors in forensic departments in the country. Of them, three are at the DMCH, one each in Mymensingh and Comilla. Women leaders, human rights activists and the civil society members demand appointments of adequate female doctors to the department.
Deputy director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Farida Yasmin says: "These examinations must be conducted confidentially by female doctors. The rapist himself doesn't see the victim's body as much seen by doctors while conducting the examinations. This is very insulting for women."
Zinat D Laila, a doctor of Forensic department at the DMCH, says female doctors should join the department for humanitarian ground. "If there are adequate female doctors, no tortured woman will go back without being examined."
Writer Selina Hossain says in 2000 a six-year-old girl was raped by a police constable at Panchagarh Police Lines. And medical examinations could not be done, as the girl used to get scared at the sight of a male.
She says the government needs to address the issue immediately.
PAYEL Islam, a class VIII student of Srimongol in Sylhet, returns home from school in the evening everyday and falls victim to eaveteasers. Payel does not feel like disclosing it to her parents lest they stop her studies. But one evening, the worst possible thing happened to the teenager.
On her return home, a local wayward youth found her in a desolate spot near a tea garden and fled the scene, leaving her in a pool of blood. Later, some tea garden workers took her to local hospital.
Though the evidence of rape is clear, a medical certificate is necessary for launching a legal battle. This certificate is issued only after a medical examination is conducted by female doctors and for that the victim has to be undressed fully. But, Payel's mom is not ready to do that.
"My daughter has already suffered. And to prove the offence I don't want the repeat of the rape by allowing, male doctors to examine her whole body," says the distressed mother. For the refusal of medical examination, the case of Payel (not her real name) did not go to court and the rapist was let off the hook.
Alo, an 18-year-old daughter of Ramiz All of a remote village in Barisal, faced the same fate of Payel. She was violated by Rasel, a local thug. A day after rape, Ramiz took Alo (Name changed to protect privacy) to Barisal Medical College Hospital for medical examination, but she did not allow male doctors to examine her.
There are many instances where rape-related crimes in Bangladesh cannot reach courts, as victims do not want to be examined by male doctors, allowing the rapists to go unpunished.
What is rape?
The existing law defines rape as having sex forcibly with a woman by a man without her consent.
In Bangladesh many rape incidents go unreported for various reasons. A rape victim becomes unwarranted in society if the incident is made public and there are some people who blame the victim, not the rapist, for the offence. And many women commit suicide after rape out of shame.
According to a monitoring report prepared by Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, during 1997-2001 period, some 1,656 women were raped, 614 gang-raped, 53 raped after promise of marriage and 159 murdered after rape. In 2006, some 549 rape incidents took place in the country, 249 were victims of gang-rape and 170 women were killed after rape.
Executive director of National Women Lawyers' Association Salma Ali says: "The actual figure of rape incidents is much higher than what we can see in newspapers."
An analysis of the incidents that took place in the past few years shows most of the rape victims are from illiterate and poor classes. Exceptions are also there. Women belonging to middle and upper classes also fall victims to rape. But, the rate is much lower than that of the lower-class families.
Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 ensures stringent punishment up to death for rape-related crimes. And, women leaders, human nights activists, lawyers and civil society members have no problem with the law. But, their complaints are about medical examinations after rape.
Medical examinations are required for taking any legal actions against rapists. But, forensic departments of the country's hospitals do not have enough female doctors to conduct the medical examinations. So, it is done by male doctors, which many consider as a second rape.
"Conducting medical examination by male doctors is undoubtedly tantamount to a second rape. First time, a woman is raped physically and during medical examinations, she is raped psychologically," says Sanjeeda Akhter, a teacher of Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies department.
According to information provided from Forensic Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), four to five rape victims come to the hospital everyday on average for medical examinations. Prior to examinations, the victim or her guardian has to sign on a blank paper giving consent to all types of medical examinations.
Many are found unwilling to be examined by male doctors. Therefore, many guardians take their girls back without examinations. Recently, Reshma (not her real name) of Dhaka's Amin Bazaar went back from hospital without being examined by male doctors. "I was raped once. Now, I don't want to expose my naked body in front of male doctors," says Reshma, who also wanted the perpetrator to be punished. But, seeing the examination methods, she changed her mind. Now she does not want justice.
The doctors at Forensic department of the DMCH admit that some women do go back home without being examined. They claim the rate is very low. They also say that their main job is to prove how one is victimised. And these examinations are done showing due respect to the women. Besides, a female employee remains present during the examinations.
Experts say different examinations are very important to identify the rapists and get them punished. As said earlier, many women do not want to get examined by male doctors and there is a huge shortage of female forensic doctors.
There are only five female doctors in forensic departments in the country. Of them, three are at the DMCH, one each in Mymensingh and Comilla. Women leaders, human rights activists and the civil society members demand appointments of adequate female doctors to the department.
Deputy director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Farida Yasmin says: "These examinations must be conducted confidentially by female doctors. The rapist himself doesn't see the victim's body as much seen by doctors while conducting the examinations. This is very insulting for women."
Zinat D Laila, a doctor of Forensic department at the DMCH, says female doctors should join the department for humanitarian ground. "If there are adequate female doctors, no tortured woman will go back without being examined."
Writer Selina Hossain says in 2000 a six-year-old girl was raped by a police constable at Panchagarh Police Lines. And medical examinations could not be done, as the girl used to get scared at the sight of a male.
She says the government needs to address the issue immediately.