Woman Hospitalized For COVID-19 Allegedly Sexually Abused While Tied To Bed In ICU

A 45-year-old COVID-19 patient was allegedly sexually abused in the intensive care unit of the hospital, her daughter has claimed.

The alleged incident took place in Patna in the Northern Indian state of Bihar. It came to light Monday after the victim's daughter paid a visit to the ICU.

According to the daughter, her mother, who spent two weeks in the hospital, was sexually assaulted by four men on the night of May 16.

"When I visited her, I found that she was tied with rope. So, I asked her and she explained that she was sexually abused by four men," the victim's daughter said as per local news outlet News Click.

The daughter recorded a video clip containing a statement from her mother and shared it on social media. The said video, taken in the hospital's ICU, described the gruesome details of the alleged abuse. It went viral shortly after its release.

The victim succumbed to death Wednesday. Her daughter filed a complaint at the police station following her demise.

Police said they are verifying the claims. "Police team has been investigating and will look into CCTV footage to ascertain the allegations of sexual abuse of a COVID-19 patient inside the hospital," Ramashamkar Singh, an investigating officer, said.

However, the hospital management dismissed the allegations. "This matter was taken up by the hospital management and an internal inquiry was conducted. It was found that such an incident has not happened in the premises of the hospital," a spokesperson from the hospital said in a statement as per The Hindustan Times.

In a similar incident earlier this month, a woman hurled sexual harassment accusations at a hospital worker in Bihar. In a video, which eventually went viral in India, the woman could be seen wailing and asking people not to trust hospitals. According to her, she was molested by the hospital worker while her husband was struggling with COVID-19. She also claimed that her husband had been refused oxygen and water at the hospital.