Life is not easy for rape victims; trauma doubles after she files a complaint

A rape survivor is asked to prove that she has been raped. She is asked to describe the positions in which she was raped. She is forced to show marks of the torture. After reaching the hospital, she is treated as a case of STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). Her undergarments are taken off by the hospital authorities to take samples for examination and is asked to walk off without the undergarments.

Hence, it is not easy for a rape survivor to seek justice when she approaches a police station as the trauma doubles soon after she files a complaint and narrates the ordeal of being assaulted. The journey from the police station to the hospital where she is medically checked to confirm the rape, is very horrifying.

Speaking to Millennium Post, a rape survivor who lodged a complaint last year, requesting anonymity said : “I waited for almost three hours at the police station because the female police officer was not present in the police station. I was uncomfortable as I had to narrate the ordeal in front of a few male staff. She asked me to ascertain whether I was raped or not.”

Millennium Post has found that there is no separate room in most of the police stations where the rape survivor could be asked to sit to narrate the ordeal. As a result, the rape victim has to face the uncomfortable situation. “The lady Sub-Inspector is the first to encounter the victim. In maximum cases, these officers do not have a soft language to deal with the victims. Also, the less number of female staff in the police stations is another reason that builds pressure on the serving policewomen,” a senior policewoman, requesting anonymity said.

“Calling an NGO to the police station to ascertain whether a victim has been raped or not is another big challenge. Many a times, the NGOs ask the police to send a vehicle for them. As Delhi Police already have very less number of official vehicles, it is hard to give transport facilities to the NGOs. The process is time consuming.”

“Another major task is to take the victim to the hospital. At times, if the victim is comfortable to become a pillion rider on a policeman’s bike, she is taken to the hospital else, we hire an auto-rickshaw,” another female officer said.

“I was taken to the hospital in an auto and after getting down I was asked to pay the auto fare,” a rape victim sighed.

The hospital authorities treating rape victims as patients with STDs and start talking to each other saying : “Isske sath rape hua hain. Isko uss room mein le kar jaao” (She has been raped. Take her to that room).

After she reaches the room where she is supposed to be examined, the hospital staff always have an excuse that they do not have gloves. Maximum time, they carry out the examination without wearing the gloves. After the examination is conducted, she is asked to leave her undergarments in the hospital only for further examinations. “She is forced to walk off the hospital without her undergarments. I myself have witnessed many cases where the victim was not wearing her undergarments at the time of the incident. So her salwaar or jeans is taken into possession and her family members are asked to arrange for clothes for her. Till then she has to remain semi-naked in the hospital,” one of the female officer, requesting anonymity said.

Adding to these trauma the rape victim has to face similar harassment in the courtrooms where she has to recall the incident in every hearing. Despite fastrack courts, maximum number of cases are lingering in the court files, awaiting justice.