The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The father of a minor victim shared his disbelief and anguish after learning that a medical professional allegedly raped his minor daughter during her hospital visits in Trashigang.
He said that he is in disbelief that a medical professional who is supposed to save lives has done such a heinous act.
The father recounted the shocking incident, stating that his daughter disclosed the assault to her mother before they decided to report it to the police. “I couldn’t believe what my daughter was saying. I even asked my wife to confirm with her before making the report,” he said. After confirmation, the father immediately called the police, who responded promptly to initiate an investigation.
The victim, an epilepsy patient, shared her harrowing experiences with the police. During her first visit to the hospital, her father accompanied her for a checkup but was asked to leave the room by the medical professional. He then allegedly locked the door, closed the windows and assaulted the minor.
The victim’s reluctance to return for a second checkup was evident, but her parents, unaware of the abuse, insisted on following through with the medical advice.
The father said, “We don’t have big doctors and hospital like in Trashigang, so we travelled there in hope of getting our daughter treated well. During the first checkup, I accompanied her. She didn’t tell me anything about the assault. However, when I think back, she did show some reluctance when we had to come for the second checkup.”
“My daughter was sharing the same incident details to the police that she shared to her mother. All three of us were questioned by the police and each one of us shared our own part. During the time of the second incident, I had to go to town for some personal work. However, my wife was accompanying our daughter.”
During the second checkup when his wife accompanied their daughter, she was asked by the medical staff to get free eye glasses from the hospital which she went to get as she has an eye problem. The daughter was with her, but the medical professional took her daughter saying her health book was with him.
When the mother returned, she could not find her daughter. Suspecting something was wrong, she checked the medical professional’s chamber and found it locked. After knocking, her daughter eventually opened the door. Inside, the medical professional acted nonchalantly, even complimenting the mother on her glasses and offering them Nu 300 for refreshments. It was then that the minor confided in her mother saying the medical professional is not a good person as he raped her during the first checkup too.
The minor, under guidance and permission from her parents, spoke with the paper and detailed both incidents stating that the perpetrator used condoms during the assaults. This detail is important as the use of condoms does not leave behind biological evidence of rape.
Despite the trauma, she initially refrained from sharing her ordeal due to fear and the belief that no one would believe her. “I didn’t feel well, and I was afraid they would accuse me of lying,” she said.
The victim said, “After we were called inside, the medical professional asked my father to leave, following which he locked the door and even closed the curtains. After that he raped me.”
She said that she could not tell her parents as they held the medical professional in high regard.
Following the incidents, the minor’s education has been disrupted. Her father explained that the family spent nearly two months in Thimphu for medical checkups and investigations. The school has advised them to submit a formal request for her to continue in the same grade 5 next year.
The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has charge-sheeted the case to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), charging the suspect with the rape of a child above 12 years of age.
However, the case has encountered challenges. Police reported that DNA tests on a recovered condom and other evidence yielded negative results. The victim’s statement, coupled with circumstantial evidence, points to the suspect, but inconsistencies in the forensic findings have complicated the case.
“All circumstantial evidence points toward the medical professional,” police stated. The suspect remains under bail as the OAG reviews the case.
The minor continues to struggle with the trauma of the incident, but her family remains determined to seek justice, so there is stronger protective measures for vulnerable individuals in the future and greater accountability within medical institutions.
