| Amid the ongoing uproar over the gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi earlier this month, the latest case has again shone the spotlight on the police’s handling of sex crimes.One police officer has been fired and another suspended over their conduct after an assault on a 17-year old Indian girl was gang-raped during the festival of Diwali on November 13 in the Patiala region in the Punjab, according to officials. The teenager was found dead after she committed suicide after police pressured her to drop the case and marry one of her attackers, police and a relative said on Thursday. Her body was discovered on Wednesday night after swallowing poison. Inspector General Paramjit Singh Gill said that the teenager had been “running from pillar to post to get her case registered” but officers failed to open a formal inquiry. Mercury Health Travel currently has contracts with healthcare providers in several cities throughout India for medical tourism. Mercury Healthcare International’s CEO and founder, Maria Todd had this to say in an official statement, “This situation is an urgent public health priority. It is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, in conflict with Millenium Development Goals (3,4,5 and 6) and a significant peace and security issue. To turn a blind eye to the matter can only be explained by ignorance, greed, or irresponsibility. Mercury Advisory Group, the firms global health consultancy arm works on global health development projects around the world funded by international development banks in support of the Millennium Development Goals. Todd explained that to react with complacency to this particular situation is a professional and social responsibility conflict of interest. …As a women-owned business, with the awareness of this danger to women, our inspection staff and consultants, and our clients, Mercury Healthcare International has temporarily stopped all health travel coordination to healthcare providers throughout India. This affects our our client referrals from the USA, Canada, West Africa, and neighbor market group health client expatriates. We hope that other medical tourism facilitation firms will responsibly follow our lead and suspend steerage of medical tourism clients into India until new laws to cover attacks on women are in place and there is proof of enforcement.” During an address to the chief ministers of India’s states on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to bring in new laws to cover attacks on women. Official figures show that 228,650 of the total 256,329 violent crimes recorded last year in India were against women, but in reality, the number of incidents is thought to be much higher as so many women are reluctant to report attacks to the police. |
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