Pakistan Doctor Dismissed for Illegal Virginity Test on Minor Rape Victim

Dr. Aliza Gill was dismissed from her position in Punjab, Pakistan, after conducting a banned virginity test on a minor rape victim. This action violated a 2020 Lahore High Court ruling that called the practice humiliating and of no forensic value. The Punjab government has reiterated its commitment to the ban.

In a move underscoring judicial mandates and ethical medical practices, Dr. Aliza Gill was dismissed from her post in Punjab, Pakistan, for performing a virginity test on a minor rape victim. This action defied a Lahore High Court ruling from 2020 prohibiting the procedure.

The test, decried as 'humiliating and having no forensic value,' was administered on a 10-year-old victim, prompting severe criticism from Justice Farooq Haider of the Lahore High Court. He emphasized that such tests hold no legal ground and must not be documented in medicolegal reports.

The Punjab government affirmed Dr. Gill's dismissal and communicated its stance to medical professionals across the province, stressing that virginity tests on sexual assault victims are inadmissible. The hearing has been adjourned till Thursday, while recommendations for a new medical board for the victim's examination are being considered.