In response to the nationwide outcry sparked by the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a hospital, India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday established a national task committee comprising physicians to recommend measures to guarantee safety in their places of employment.
Nationwide demonstrations have been sparked by the August 9 incident in Kolkata, an eastern city. People are calling for the victim’s rights to justice and more safety for women in hospitals, with some physicians refusing to treat non-emergency patients.
The federal police have taken over the investigation after a volunteer police officer was placed into custody for the crime. The outcry and demonstrations against violence against women are reminiscent of the events that followed the 2012 gang rape and death of a 23-year-old student in New Delhi on a bus.
