The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Guidelines Regarding Consent & Examination of A Female Survivor of Sexual Offences - An Overview

The committee to frame the guidelines was constituted by the Government of India on 18th March 2013 and the Guidelines were notified on 19th March 2014. As per the guidelines, it has now become mandatory for every government hospital in the country to treat survivors of sexual assault free of charge; even post treatment has to be free. The survivors can be of either gender. The guidelines have recognized that child victims can be accompanied by the abusers themselves when brought for examination, hence, special care must be taken in these cases. Every hospital must have Standard Operative Procedures [SOPs] for comprehensively dealing with such cases. The doctor must develop a rapport with the patient and explain in detail regarding the procedure and its legal necessity. It is not mandatory that a female gynecologist conduct the examination; any RMP can do so. There must be no delay in conducting the examination and collection of requisite samples. All hospitals should have an [OSCC] One Stop Crisis Centre where in the survivor of sexual assault would be examined and all legal and medical formalities required would be completed.