Fears for the survival of India gang rape victim

The condition of an Indian medical student whose gang rape triggered mass protests has deteriorated and there are signs her vital organs have failed, the Singapore hospital treating her said yesterday.

The 23-year-old, who was severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi, was flown to Singapore by the Indian government for specialist treatment.

Most rapes and other sex crimes in India go unreported and offenders are rarely punished, women’s rights activists say.

However, the brutality of the assault triggered public outrage and demands for both better policing and harsher punishment for rapists.

The case has received blanket coverage on news channels. The woman has not been identified but some Indian media have called her “Amanat”, an Urdu word meaning “treasure”.

“The patient’s condition has taken a turn for the worse. Her vital signs are deteriorating, with signs of severe organ failure,” a spokesman for the hospital said in a bulletin yesterday afternoon.

“Her family members have been informed that her condition has deteriorated and they are by her side to encourage and comfort her.”

Prime minister Manmohan Singh’s government has been battling criticism that it was tone-deaf to the outcry and heavy-handed in its responseto the protests in the Indian capital.

Some Indian medical experts questioned the decision to airlift the woman to Singapore, calling it a risky manoeuvre given the seriousness of her injuries. They said she was already receiving the best possible care in India, which possesses world-class medical facilities.