KARACHI, March 29: An NGO, War Against Rape (WAR), has said that it has drafted a new form for recording evidences and reports as provided by a rape victim. The organization has proposed addition of at least eight new columns to the existing form - Medical Examination Form for Rape Victims - supposed to be filled in by a medico-legal officer (MLO).

An activist of the NGO, Zainab Mahmood, speaking at a workshop on 'how to conduct an effective examination of victims of rape', said that the forms being used by the three main government hospitals in the city were different from each other. She was referring to the Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, Civil Hospital and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The WAR has been working on a standard and updated form having all the essential information that could help lawyers succeed in getting a rapist convicted easily. The WAR believes that lawyers face immense trouble in the job owing to flaws and incomplete information provided by MLOs through the forms currently in their use.

Defining the proposed additions, Ms Mahmood said that the new columns would specifically mention the MLO's report on a particular examination. New areas, not included in the existing forms, have also been added. She said this would be up to the doctors conducting the examination to record such findings.

The proposed columns are related to examinations of private organs. This information is essential to prove, in a court of law, a rape having been committed.

The activist said that two of the proposed columns related to the information that whether the victims had used some contraceptives or had been administered drugs against sexually transmitted diseases.

She said though such information were not helpful in legal matters, they were necessary for providing medical assistance to the victim in order to avoid unwanted pregnancy or other complications resulting from the rape.

Ms Mahmood said that the proposed form had been developed after getting input from lawyers and doctors who believed that essential information was lacking in the existing forms. While the doctors forget recording the vital information after the examination, the lawyers find it difficult to get the culprit convicted.

Participants of the workshop suggested that specific questions with 'Yes' and 'No' options be added to the new form so that the doctors could make their specific remarks and on the basis of which a case could be pleaded effectively.

They pointed out that sometime doctors used vague terms which could not help the victim during a trial. Ms Mahmood said that while the MLOs at the JPMC and Civil Hospital appeared very helpful by providing necessary data and putting forward suggestions in the preparation of the new form, those at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital did not cooperate.

The JPMC MLOs neither provided the required data, not did they appear cooperative, she said, alleging that they used indecent language against rape victims.

The forms once completed would be circulated among the stakeholders and professionals to get their final input after which the form would be finalized and presented to the Home Department for a review. Doctors, lawyers, gynaecologists, psychologists, social workers and activists participated in the workshop.