A 23-year-old Indian female student, who was gang-raped in New Delhi in the moving bus 12 days ago, lost her battle of life in a Singapore hospital in early hours of Saturday morning.
“The patient passed away peacefully at 4:45am on 29 Dec 2012,” a statement released from the hospital said. The patient’s family had been by her side, it added.
The young woman was brought to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital in extremely critical condition on Thursday after she underwent three operations in a Delhi hospital.
The woman and her male mate were traveling in a public bus on December 16 evening when six men attacked them and took turns to rape the girl. They also harshly stabbed the couple and inserted an iron rod into her organ. As the result theorgan was severely damaged. The couple was then dumped off the moving bus.
“She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain,” Dr. Kevin Loh said. “She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds, but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome.”
According to police the all six suspects, including the bus driver, are now under arrest.
Girl’s 28-year-old male mate, a physiotherapy student, was also flown to Singapore for specialized treatment but was later discharged.
The brutal attack sparked riots in Delhi and thousands of angered people staged daily demonstrations, demanding the death penalty for rape and protection for women in the country.
To embarrass the men convicted in the case and prevent such acts in future, the government posted their photos, names and addresses on National Crime Records Bureau website.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condoled the death of gangrape victim saying her scarification will not go in vain.
”I want to tell them and the nation that while she may have lost her battle for life, it is up to us all to ensure that her death will not have been in vain,” he said in his condolence message.
“We have already seen the emotions and energies this incident has generated. These are perfectly understandable reactions from a young India and an India that genuinely desires change. It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channelize these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action.”
According to police figures, New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India’s big cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours.
