His Majesty King Mohammed VI has instructed Moroccan authorities to cover the treatment and follow-up of a 24-year-old Moroccan woman who was assaulted in a hospital intensive care unit in India, in a case that has shocked both countries and led to the arrest of the doctor involved.
The victim had been admitted on August 29 to Healthway Hospital in Old Goa after she experienced health problems while staying at a resort on Divar Island, where she was participating in a training program organized by a non-governmental organization working to combat poverty.
Two days later, on the night of August 31, she was assaulted by Dr. Vrushab Doshi, a 28-year-old trainee physician, according to Indian police reports, quoted by the media.
Investigators say Doshi asked a nurse to leave the ICU before the incident, then lifted the patient’s gown and forced sexual contact while she was immobile and in critical condition.
The assault was reported by the woman’s sister, a dual Moroccan-Spanish national, who said her sibling was unable to defend herself.
Doshi fled Goa immediately after the complaint was lodged but was tracked down in Sangli, Maharashtra, and arrested last week.
Indian police confirmed to media he is being held under multiple provisions of the penal code, including rape in a hospital setting, assault to outrage modesty, and disrobing.
“The accused left Goa after the offence. A team was formed and the accused was tracked to Sangli and arrested,” said a police officer to Indian media.
The hospital suspended Doshi pending the investigation and said it was providing “all possible moral and logistical support” to the victim, who remains under care.
Indian media reports that the accused will face charges before a fast-track court. Authorities described the incident as aggravated by the fact that it occurred inside an ICU.
The King’s intervention reflects the special care His Majesty provides for his subjects, both inside and outside of Morocco.
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