SINGAPORE — A young woman who was gang-raped and assaulted on a moving bus in the Indian capital was flown Thursday to a Singapore hospital for treatment of severe internal injuries that could last several weeks, officials said.
The 23-year-old student, who is in critical condition, arrived in Singapore on an air ambulance and was admitted to the Mount Elizabeth hospital, renowned for multi-organ transplant facilities.
The hospital said in a statement
that she was admitted to the intensive care unit "in an extremely
critical condition." It said "she is being examined and the hospital is
working with the Indian High Commission (embassy)."
The Dec. 16 rape of the woman and her brutal beating triggered widespread protests in New Delhi
and other parts of the country and calls for the death penalty for the
perpetrators of rape. It is punishable by up to life in prison.
All six suspects in the case have been arrested.
The rape has highlighted the
extensive harassment that Indian women face daily in cities and towns,
ranging from unwanted hands being placed on them to being blamed for
causing the sexual violence. Even rape victims rarely come forward to
complain because of the social stigma. Many women say they have
structured their entire lives around protecting themselves and their
children, and restricting their movements to avoid being molested.
In a written statement, the
Indian High Commission, or embassy, said it has received "many offers to
help" the woman, who is "receiving full medical attention." Her family
is also being provided all assistance" by the embassy, it said.
The nearly daily protests in the
heart of New Delhi following the rape have been frequently quelled by
police using tear gas and water cannons. One policemen died of injuries
suffered in the clashes.
Police said she was traveling
with a male friend in a bus when they were attacked by six men who took
turns to rape her. The men also beat the couple with iron rods, stripped
them of their clothes and threw them off the bus on a road. They were
found by bystanders before being rushed to New Delhi's Safdarjang
Hospital. The bus, which was empty except for the attackers and the
couple, drove through the city for hours during the assault, even
passing through police checkpoints.
Press Trust of India quoted
hospital medical superintendent, B.D. Athani, as saying Wednesday night
that the woman suffered severe intestinal and abdominal injuries. She
underwent three surgeries and parts of her intestines were removed, he
said.
He said the Indian government,
"based on the advice of a team of doctors," made arrangements for her to
be shifted to Singapore's Mount Elizabeth hospital because it has state
of the art multi-organ transplant facilities. Also, the travel time of 5
½ hours from New Delhi was considered less arduous.
"With fortitude and courage, the
(woman) survived the aftereffects of the injuries so far well. But the
condition continues to be critical," he was quoted as saying. "The
treatment (in Singapore) might take longer."
The woman was on ventilator support during the 10 days she was at Safdarjang Hospital.
Press Trust of India said the
Indian government will bear all expenses of the woman's treatment.
Doctors have described her as "psychologically composed and optimistic
about future."
It said her condition worsened
late Wednesday after her pulse plummeted briefly, and that periodic
bouts of infection were also a source of concern.
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