A heinous crime that shocked all of India: a volunteer convicted of the rape and murder of a doctor in the hospital where he worked. The verdict is in, but the sentence remains to be pronounced. The family is demanding the death penalty. What will Indian justice decide?
India is in shock after a man was convicted of the rape and sordid murder of a young doctor at the hospital where he volunteered. The crime, which occurred last August in Calcutta, triggered an unprecedented wave of indignation in the country, already undermined by an endemic problem of violence against women.
According to sources close to the case, the bloodied body of the victim, aged only 31, was found within the hospital grounds. The alleged perpetrator, Sanjoy Roy, a 33-year-old volunteer who worked on site, was quickly apprehended by the police. Throughout the legal proceedings, he maintained his innocence, claiming to be the victim of a conspiracy.
A quick trial for a crime that shocked an entire country
Faced with the scale of the outcry caused by this heinous crime, Indian justice decided to handle the case under accelerated procedure. A rare decision in a judicial system known for its chronic slowness. In less than ten days, the pleadings were concluded and the verdict rendered: guilty.
The announcement of the judgment was greeted by scenes of jubilation in front of the Calcutta court, placed under heavy police surveillance. A crowd of demonstrators had gathered, chanting “Hang him!” » in unison. An appeal also launched by the victim’s family, who are demanding the death penalty for their daughter’s murderer.
Ordinary people will lose confidence in the justice system if they are not sentenced to the death penalty.
The victim’s mother
For his part, the father of the late doctor declared: “ He brutally snuffed out our daughter’s life. He deserves the same fate “. Meaningful words, when the final sentence must be pronounced next Monday.
-Hospital staff on strike to denounce insecurity
Beyond the emotion aroused in public opinion, this tragic news item also highlighted the gaping flaws in the Indian hospital system. Regularly confronted with acts of violence, many caregivers took advantage of this tragedy to step up to the plate.
Just after the crime was discovered, hundreds of doctors, nurses and caregivers stopped work and demonstrated their anger in the streets of Calcutta, demanding a strengthening of security measures in public hospitals. A claim heard by the Indian Supreme Court, which ordered the creation of a working group responsible for submitting a plan d’action on the subject.
Violence against women, a scourge that plagues Indian society
This sordid murder was sadly reminiscent of that of a young woman on a New Delhi bus in 2012. A resounding affair which had already highlighted the daily ordeal of millions of Indian women, confronted with omnipresent and often unpunished macho violence.
Collective rapes, sexual assaults, honor killings, forced marriages, genital mutilations… Despite a tightening of legislation in recent years, the scourge continues. According to official figures, a woman is raped every 16 minutes in India. But in reality, these crimes are largely underreported due to the taboo surrounding them and the social pressure placed on the victims.
For many observers, this new tragic episode illustrates the urgency of a profound change in mentalities in Indian society. A vast project that involves education, awareness-raising and zero tolerance towards all forms of sexist violence. In the meantime, millions of women continue to live in fear, including in the workplace that is supposed to protect them.
The verdict in the murder case of this young doctor is perhaps a step in the right direction. But for justice to truly be served, it will take much more than an individual conviction. An entire system must be fundamentally reformed to finally guarantee Indian women the fundamental right to live in security and dignity.
