Making Justice to Rape Victims

'Arrange medical test at upazila hospitals'

15 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Nilphamari

Speakers at a workshop yesterday urged arranging medical examination of rape victims at upazila level hospitals to ensure the test within 24 hours. “After 24 hours, the evidence of rape may disappear. And so, it is very important to carry out examination of rape victims at upazila level hospitals," speakers said at a workshop on Forensic Medicine at the conference room of Nilphamari civil surgeon. Women Rights Unit of Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) Bangladesh and district heath department jointly arranged the workshop. Now medical examinations of rape victims are conducted at district level hospitals only. Delay due to bureaucratic procedure works as a hindrance to justice for rape victims, speakers said, adding that doctors should be sensitive enough to examine a victim without considering whether there is any reference from the police station. They emphasised conducting medical test of the rape victim before filing a case so as not to lose evidence. Monjusree Saha, the woman rights co-ordinator of RDRS, read out the keynote paper at the workshop. If a rape victim physically appears in a health centre run by the government or non-government organisation, the on-duty doctor must perform her medical test immediately, she said referring to a government order issued on September 16, 2002. According to the government order, the doctor concerned must send copy of the report to the deputy commissioner, local police station and the victim but the order is not followed properly, she said. In the name of arbitration a section of irresponsible village leaders delay medical test of the victim and this practice sometimes helps culprits to avert legal action, speakers said at the workshop. They suggested arrangement of orientation course for the doctors and laboratory technicians at upazila hospitals. Resident medical officers of all the upazila hospitals of the district, senior nurses, laboratory technicians, journalists and others attended the workshop presided over by Nilphamari Civil Surgeon Dr Anwarul Islam.