Now Reading: 2 Ghaziabad hospitals to pay Rs 12 lakh for turning away rape victim
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2 Ghaziabad hospitals to pay Rs 12 lakh for turning away rape victim
Two Ghaziabad hospitals have undertaken to donate Rs 12 lakh to the parents of a minor girl who died after they refused her treatment following a brutal sexual assault. The undertaking was…
The Story in Brief
Two Ghaziabad hospitals have undertaken to donate Rs 12 lakh to the parents of a minor girl who died after they refused her treatment following a brutal sexual assault. The undertaking was given to the Supreme Court on Friday to escape criminal prosecution. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said it would consider laying down ‘must treat’ guidelines for hospitals and mandate police to video record complainants’ statements in sexual assault cases.
The court criticised the hospitals and police for insensitivity, noting that the child might have survived if treated promptly. The bench sought suggestions from senior advocate N Hariharan and additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati for directions to bridge the gap between existing laws and their ground-level implementation. Justice Bagchi said the ‘golden period’ for treatment was lost.
The Indian Opinion
The Supreme Court’s censure of these Ghaziabad hospitals cuts through a wearying pattern: everyone knows the law yet everyone pleads helplessness. The poor are routinely turned away, not just in sexual assault cases but across emergency care. The real test will be whether the court’s promised ‘must treat’ guidelines come with teeth, naming the officer who will be held accountable when a hospital refuses care, and how fast the penalty follows. Will the next hospital facing a bleeding child think twice before shutting its gates?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 1 sources.
