Protests grow in India over the rape and murder of a doctor in a government hospital | World

Protesters held signs demanding accountability for the woman's rape and murder as they gathered near Parliament in New Delhi. Similar protests were held in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata – the capital of West Bengal state, where the murder took place – and in other Indian cities such as Mumbai and Hyderabad.

The protests, which were generally peaceful, began on August 9 when police discovered the blood-soaked body of the 31-year-old doctor-in-training in the seminar room of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

An autopsy later confirmed sexual abuse and a volunteer police officer was arrested in connection with the crime. The victim's family claimed it was a gang rape and that other people were involved.

State government officials who investigated the case are accused of mishandling it. Police later turned the case over to federal investigators under a judge's order.

In the days that followed, the growing anger boiled over into nationwide outrage, sparking protests against violence against women. The protests also led to thousands of doctors and paramedics walking out of work at some public hospitals across India, demanding a safer working environment.

Sexual violence against women is a widespread problem in India. In 2022, police recorded 31,516 rape reports, according to the National Crime Records Bureau – a 20% increase from 2021.

In India, many cases of crimes against women go unreported because of the stigma attached to sexual violence and a lack of trust in the police. Women's rights activists say the problem is particularly acute in rural areas, where society sometimes shames victims of sexual assault and families worry about their social status.

Richa Garg, a doctor who took part in the protests in New Delhi on Friday, said she no longer feels safe at her workplace.

“As a woman, this infuriates me. The perpetrators of this crime must be found immediately … and our workplaces must be made safer,” she said.

On Wednesday evening, the hospital where the junior doctor was killed was attacked. Police were unable to identify the perpetrator but said they had arrested 19 people so far.

The Indian Medical Association, the country's largest body of medical professionals, called late Thursday for a “nationwide withdrawal of services”, except for essential services for 24 hours from Saturday.

“Doctors, especially women, are vulnerable to violence due to the nature of their profession. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure the safety of doctors in hospitals and on campus,” said a statement from the IMA on social media platform X.

Political parties, Bollywood actors and other well-known personalities also expressed their dismay at the crimes and called for harsher punishments for the perpetrators.

“Outrageous behaviour against women must be punished severely and promptly,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday in an address to the nation on the 78th Independence Day.

The cruelty of the attack has drawn comparisons with the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus in 2012. The attack sparked massive, sometimes violent protests and prompted lawmakers to impose harsher punishments for such crimes and to create fast-track rape courts. Under pressure, the government also introduced the death penalty for repeat offenders.

The Rape Act, amended in 2013, also criminalized stalking and voyeurism and lowered the age at which a person can be tried as an adult from 18 to 16.