Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Published : December 8, 2014 4:39 PM IST
In the wake of the recent Uber cab rape case, where the victim was raped by the driver of the cab in the capital city of Delhi, raises a question on the safety of women in the city. The Uber cab driver took the victim to an isolated area after she fell asleep in the cab. When she tried to raise an alarm on waking up, he sexually assaulted her. While we all are probably wondering how the rape case could have been averted, a larger question that looms large is would you know what to do if you were raped? Here is everything you should know.
Rape is a very sensitive issue and should be treated with utmost care. The victim is not only violated physically but also mentally and her state of mind should be taken into consideration while examining her after an assault. There are a few very important things to be considered by the victim after a rape. The very first thing is not to feel guilty and stand up for yourself. The mental trauma that one has gone through after a rape cannot be explained but the victim has to be brave and report the cases to the police.
The increasing number of sexual assault cases should make us more aware of the rules and laws in our country. If you are found in a situation like this and are a victim of sexual assault, here is all you should do to keep your health from deteriorating.
Important things to remember if you have been a victim of rape.
Cleaning the evidence: Do not wash off yourself or change your clothes after the assault. It might sound insensitive, but the after rape the first place the doctor will check is your body and clothes to collect evidence against the accused. You will strongly feel the need to clean yourself after the incident, but try to refrain from it. Cleaning the crime scene or anything your rapist has touched would destroy evidence against him.
Visit a hospital: Seek medical help as early as possible. You can either visit a private or a government hospital. The hospital should treat you immediately without the intervention of the police. Do not listen to any excuses and get your medical examination done as soon as possible. It is the hospital s duty to register your case as a medico-legal case and should inform the police. The hospital should begin your examination and the police may come later to record your statement.
Right to privacy: You have all the right to privacy and your name, identity and medical problem should only be disclosed to the doctor who will be examining you and the nurse who will be present during your examination if necessary. You should make sure that your doctor knows this and follows it.
Medical examination: During your examination. The doctor will ask you questions that may embarrass you, but try to answer him and furnish all the details he/she asks for, as it will help the doctor examine you better. The doctor will ask you one very important but an embarrassing question about how the incident took place, whether the assault was vaginal, oral or anal. Give him the required information as he will decide based on your answers, where to collect the evidence from. You may like to read the new set of guidelines to deal with sexual assault cases drawn by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
External injuries: The doctor will check you for other physical injuries due to the assault. Checking for bruises are one way in the medical system to ensure that an assault took place. It s not necessary that you may have bruises anywhere on the body at that time. At times the marks do not appear for about 24 hours. Tell the doctor that you would like to be under observation for 24 more hours, as it will give you time to get your bruises examined. Not having bruises doesn t mean that you cannot file a case. It is your right and you must ensure that a case is registered. Moreover according to the Indian Penal system the presence or absence of bruises on your body are not an indicator of weather you were actually assaulted. So don't worry if you don't have any physical bruises. You may like to read about what India lacks while investigating a rape.
The doctor will take pictures of any external injuries. But if you are uncomfortable with the pictures being taken, let your doctor know.
Physical examination: The doctor will check your inner thighs, vagina and anus for any signs of the assault and trauma during the examination. The outer lips of your vagina and walls of the anus will be checked for any bleeding or tears.
The two-finger test- This test is now abolished by the high court. Earlier the doctor would insert his gloved fingers into the vagina to check the flexibility or the looseness of its walls. This was done to check if the victim has been sexually active or has had sex the previously. You must ask your doctor about the type of tests he/she is going to perform and deny if he mentions this test as you have the right to do so. You may also like to read why the two finger test was abolished.
Collection of the evidence- The doctor will collect evidence from your skin, vagina, under your finger nails and sometimes your hair. The doctors usually look for any body fluids or hair of the accused from which they can confirm his identity.
Recording of your statement- after your examination, your statement will be recorded by the police and your doctor will be asked to certify that all the evidence has been collected.
Medication for recovery- After your examination is complete, the doctor will ask you to take certain medications which will include an emergency contraceptive, to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and medications to ensure you do not get infected with any STD s. You will be also given a mandatory course of ART s (Anti Retroviral therapy) to prevent the possibility of contracting HIV. Do not forget to discuss your doubts about the medications with your doctor. Here is all you should know about HIV/AIDS.
Getting over it- Yes, rape is a traumatic incident and it affects not only the victim s body but also, her state of mind. The psychological effects on a rape victim are often neglected and is an important aspect of a victim's treatment.You might suffer from post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and depression. It is important that you communicate or get help from professional counsellors or therapists which may help you get over the incident.
Image source: Getty Images
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