Kozhikode MCH Sexual Assault Case: 32-year-old woman Seeks justice

Kozhikode: After several unsuccessful attempts to get justice, the victim of a sexual assault case has raised her voice against the government for their lack of concern regarding standing by the victim's side and the slow process of getting justice

The 32-year-old woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by one of the staff members at Government Medical College Hospital (GMC) Kozhikode while being in a semi-conscious state has raised her voice against the government for their lack of concern regarding standing by the victim's side and the slow process of getting the justice. 

Almost 4 months after five female colleagues of the accused tried to influence her into dropping the charge, the hospital authorities recently submitted a report into the case before the Kerala Women's Commission. Earlier when the incident of convincing the victim took place, the commission notified the hospital authorities to appear at a subsequent hearing on July 11 in the presence of the victim however, they failed to do so. 

Also read- Kozhikode MCH Sexual Assault Case: 5 Hospital Staff Suspended For Attempting To Influence Victim

Following this, the Commission issued a new notice, to which the Medical College principal responded with a new report. Further development in the case will be notified by the commission soon. 

Medical Dialogues team had reported this issue where the victim claimed that the employee exploited her while she was in a semi-conscious state after undergoing thyroid surgery at the medical college hospital.

The incident came to light on March 18 when she was shifted to the surgical ICU from the main surgery theatre after her operation. The accused shifted her while another staff was busy attending to another critical patient. Taking the opportunity, the accused allegedly abused the patient in the ICU.

Meanwhile, the accused was absconding after committing the crime and was arrested two days later by the police. 

A few days later, five staff members of Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (MCH) were suspended for attempting to talk her out of her complaint against their colleague. As a result, they went into hiding. 

In her complaint, she alleged that around six staff members offered her money to settle down the case and urged her to retract her statement against their colleague. The police subsequently booked the six under various non-bailable sections based on the woman's complaint.

In response to this, the Principal of the Medical College, N. Ashokan, had initially revoked the decision to suspend five hospital employees accused of influencing the victim in favour of the accused. However, the decision was reinstated later.

Speaking about her physical and mental struggle after visiting several offices in the past months seeking justice in the case, the woman opened up Onmanorama, she said “I visited at least 50 offices in the last four months. I had to plead before the minister, the collector, and the commissioner for justice even before fully recovering from the pain post-surgery. The situation is such that each time you have to run helter-shelter if some action needs to be taken against the perpetrator. Is this the ‘women's safety’ that we are speaking of all the time? If this is what happens to victims who react, will anyone come forward to complain?”

Amid the immense pressure she had to face from the staff members of the hospital to drop the charges against their colleague, the woman continued to stay strong and fight for her justice. She stated that she was neglected by both the medical college and the commission in connection with the case of the five staff members who approached her to drop the charges against the accused. 

“The case is one where I had to face attempts from various quarters trying to influence me right from the start. I had to visit the offices of the minister, the collector and the police commissioner many times, seeking action against those who exert pressure, demanding the filing of a charge sheet and the withdrawal of the cancellation of their suspension and reinduction into service. I’m under intense mental pressure, she said.

Pointing out the delay in the submission of the report by the medical college, she said "I’m ready to go on fighting for any time in my quest for justice."

“The Women’s Commission had taken a suo motu case in the incident. As per the procedure, they have to collect my statements after coming to my house. But here, they summoned me twice to the adalat. I had to go and present my case in front of the media and other complainants. I felt like I was an object of display,” she added.

Also read- Kozhikode MCH Employee Arrested For Allegedly Sexually Assaulting Woman In ICU