The fact that something like this happened is bad enough but worse still is the fact that the organisation this woman worked for allegedly tried to cover up the incident rather than take effective measures to bring the criminals to justice. That so much time has passed without formal charges suggests that an effort is being made to sweep this under the proverbial rug.
25/01/2005 The rape in Balochistan Syed Mansoor Hussain If the state and its functionaries are unable, or worse — unwilling, to protect un-attached young women, then it is unlikely that many of them will be willing to take up jobs in rural areas. No father would be willing to let his daughter expose herself to such risk As a father of a young woman who might wish to pursue a professional career, as a physician and above all as a human being I am appalled at the alleged gang-rape of a woman physician in Balochistan. Rape is a crime that occurs in every society. What differentiates the primitive societies from the more advanced ones is the way the victim and the alleged assailant are treated by those responsible for the maintenance of law and order. Even in places like the US, rape charges are sometimes not taken very seriously if there is a possibility that the sex was of a consensual nature. Even then, no such accusation is left un-investigated. The fact that this particular crime was a gang-rape means the possibility of consensual sex cannot be entertained. It is extremely unfortunate that this happened in the very first few days of the new-year and almost three weeks later nobody has been arrested, even charged. Yes, a tribunal has been set up, but we can tell from our knowledge of Pakistani history that reports from such tribunals rarely see the light of day. If the alleged perpetrators had been civilians and the victim a member of the armed forces, surely we would have seen much greater interest in bringing the perpetrators to justice. It is true that in a poor country like Pakistan, the law enforcement agencies do not have the resources and often the manpower to bring all criminals to justice. True also, that crimes against women and children are difficult to prosecute due to societal mores. Yet high profile cases are always an exception. This case is about as high profile as any case can get. The victim unfortunately can never be fully compensated. Therefore it has to be the society that exacts full retribution under law. Even if we put aside for a moment the need for justice, there are other important reasons why this matter must be resolved in a swift and just manner. The obvious one is that it allegedly involves a serving officer of the armed forces. It is in the interest of all good men and women that serve this country in uniform that any such incident should not be allowed to impugn either their uniform or their service. Another reason and one that perhaps we might overlook in moments of anguish is the long-term effect this can have on the entire healthcare delivery system. Pakistan today has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality (women dying in child birth) of almost any nation in the world. Besides this, healthcare available to women is severely limited. Other than the obvious reasons, a major factor is that in a conservative society like this, many people are willing to deny healthcare to their female relatives if female physicians and female ancillary staff are not available to provide such care. Today, more women are studying medicine than ever before. Many of these young women will eventually get married and settle down as happened in the past, but many will also wish to practice their professions, at least until such time that they decide to have a family. Of these, some might be expected to take up jobs in rural and backward areas out of a sense of altruism and a desire to serve. If this were to happen, then we could perhaps start making a dent in the sad state of medical care available to women in such areas. We as a society must do all we can to encourage this trend. If however the state and its functionaries are unable, or worse — unwilling, to protect these un-attached young women, then it is unlikely that many of them will be willing to take up jobs in rural areas. No father would be willing to let his daughter expose herself to such risk. It is in this way that the incident in Balochistan can have a lasting impact on healthcare in this country. Even though young women are at risk from sexual predators at almost any place yet those that choose to serve in government facilities or those run by major corporations expect that these organisations will provide them with adequate protection. This should be true not only for physicians but also for nurses, midwives and other female healthcare workers. The fact that something like this happened is bad enough but worse still is the fact that the organisation this woman worked for allegedly tried to cover up the incident rather than take effective measures to bring the criminals to justice. That so much time has passed without formal charges suggests that an effort is being made to sweep this under the proverbial rug. With every passing day, physical evidence will become tainted and at the same time the victim will be subjected to ever-increasing intimidation making it virtually impossible to prosecute this case in a proper manner. Already there is talk that she might go abroad for her own safety. If that happens then there is little chance that this case will ever reach a conclusion. It is imperative that the highest ranks within the army act swiftly to make sure that the criminal is identified and brought to justice, even if he is a serving member of the armed forces. Only by doing that will they be able to save the honour of the institution that they serve. At the same time the law enforcement authorities must pursue this case with all the resources at their command. While law enforcement takes it course, it is equally important that the victim should not be subjected to intimidation from any quarter. Rape cases are often difficult to prosecute because the need for privacy of the victim is at odds with the prosecutorial need for evidence. However, in this case the identity of the victim has already been widely disseminated. Therefore concerns for privacy should no longer be allowed to impede any investigation. Finally, if the alleged assailants are not brought to a quick trial and if the matter is not brought to a just end, the message for young women physicians that might wish to serve in remote areas will be a simple one: “we don’t care about your safety”. Syed Mansoor Hussain has practised and taught medicine in the US. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_25-1-2005_pg3_3 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - What will yours do? http://my.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! 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