Delhi gang rape victim dies in Singapore hospital
A protestors chants slogans as she braces herself against the spray fired from Police water canons during a protest against the Indian governments reaction to recent rape incidents in India, in front of India Gate on December 23, 2012 in New Delhi, India. The gang rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on December 16, in Delhi, has led to people to react openly against the governments current rape laws. Over a thousand protesters gathered in front of Delhi to protest against lax laws and the governments handling of recent rape cases all over India.
A female student gang-raped and severely beaten on a bus in Delhi has died at a Singapore hospital.
"The patient passed away peacefully at 4:45 am on 29 Dec. 2012," a statement from Mount Elizabeth Hospital said, according to BBC News. The 23-year-old's family had been by her side, it added. The woman had arrived in Singapore on Thursday after undergoing three operations in a Delhi hospital.
The victim had been traveling on a public bus on Dec. 16 with a male friend, when the two were attacked by six men who raped her and beat them both. The woman was also sexually assaulted with a rod before she and her friend were both stripped naked and thrown off the bus onto a road, reported the Associated Press.
More from GlobalPost: India: To stop rape, start at the top
"The patient had remained in an extremely critical condition since admission to Mount Elizabeth Hospital," a statement from hospital chief executive Kelvin Loh said, according to BBC. "She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome.
"We are humbled by the privilege of being tasked to care for her in her final struggle."
The attack on the young student triggered violent public protests in India that left one police officer dead.
GlobalPost's Jason Overdorf reported this week that sexual assault and violence against women is an ongoing problem in India. "Every major political party has fielded and continues to field candidates facing criminal charges for rape, harassment and other crimes against women," Overdorf wrote.
Over the past five years, 27 candidates have been accused of rape, and 260 face other charges for crimes against women.