Norms not followed in rape victims’ medical test

The medical examination of rape victims is not conducted in consonance with guidelines set by the health ministry, a recent study has claimed.

The study was conducted by NGO “Partners For Law in Development” with support from the department of justice, ministry of law and justice and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).

It also found that some victims experienced obstacles and harassment from the police in registering FIRs.

“A copy of the FIR is not immediately available, but is dispatched later to the victims. Often, victims have to keep following up to obtain a copy,” said the report.

While calling for proper training of personnel for carrying out medical exams, the report said that such examinations were not carried out within the guidelines set by the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW).

Consent is not formally taken and signatures and thumb impressions are often taken at a later stage, it said.

The study recommended that only those garments that were connected with the crime must be taken for purposes of forensic examination.

The report also stressed on the need for victim-witness protection from the accused and their relatives. The prosecutrix is shielded from the accused within court by way of in-camera trials, and there is a screen to shield her from intimidation by the accused during trial, it said.

However, it highlighted that there is a need for victim-witness protection outside court premises, where the accused and their relatives continue to have access to the victim, and within the court precincts in waiting areas.

The report called for setting up of an independent specialised agency to provide comprehensive support services to the victims.