The tragic story of a life that ended prematurely in India's fight against rape and violence

Dr. Moumita Debanath: The tragic story of a life that ended prematurely in India's fight against rape and violence

Rape has become a terrible norm and, despite legislation introduced in 2012 to combat it, little has changed.

Every day, a light goes out in India. The rape epidemic has become a horrific norm, and despite 2012 laws aimed at combating it, little has changed. India is stuck in a time when parents urge their daughters to protect their honor but fail to teach their sons to respect women.

Dr Moumita Debanath, a 31-year-old doctor in training at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal, is the latest victim of this widespread violence. Her brutal rape and murder during a night shift at a government hospital have sparked protests across India. The Modi government is under growing pressure as public anger refuses to abate despite repeated assurances of justice.

Protests broke out across the country, the largest of which were in Kolkata. Women held placards, candles, banners and national flags, demanding justice for Dr. Debanath. In the capital Delhi, but also in Mumbai, Kolkata and other cities, protesting doctors have vowed not to return to work until the investigation into the rape and murder case is completed.

Dr. Moumita had just finished a grueling 20-hour shift and, as there was no special lounge for women, fell asleep in a seminar room at the hospital. In that vulnerable moment, she was attacked by monsters who raped and then murdered her. Her colleagues found her almost naked, brutally beaten body the next morning. Her last words to her parents were reassuring: “You and Dad, eat dinner, take your medicine and sleep. I am perfectly fine.”

But the next morning, her parents received a devastating call that their daughter had committed suicide. They rushed to the hospital, spent three agonizing hours there and were not even allowed to catch a last glimpse of their beloved daughter.

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Evidence from the crime scene suggests that Dr Debanath was first murdered and then raped. However, the post-mortem report reveals a far more gruesome truth: she was raped while in a deep sleep and then mercilessly strangled. The report details the horrific injuries she sustained – 16 external wounds on her cheeks, lips, nose, eyes, arms and knees and 9 internal injuries, including marks on her private parts.

Dr Moumita Debanath's father revealed that before her night shift, she had written in her diary about her ambitions to complete her medical degree and win a gold medal to dedicate her life to her field. “But tragically, she lost her life! My daughter will never come back, but at least the investigation should be thorough.”