The Karnataka High Court has ordered the Principal Secretary of the Health Department to issue a circular reiterating the duties of doctors who conduct medical examinations and write reports on sexual assault cases. The court noted instances in which doctors were callous while preparing a medical report on whether or not a minor victim had been sexually assaulted.
Pradeep was arrested by Ramamurthy Nagar police under the POCSO Act and the IPC. The doctor examined the victim on December 5, 2020 and noted that there were no injuries in external genitalia but failed to mention whether hymen was intact or not, whether she had been abused or sexually assaulted.
“This is one more classic case of negligence on the part of the doctor, who conducted the examination of the victim and not giving report and in a callous manner issuing Sexual Assault Certificate without any opinion and hence it is a fit case to direct the Principal Secretary, Health Department, to initiate the appropriate proceedings against the doctor, who had issued Sexual Assault Certificate,” the Court said.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
