Swiss tourist gang-raped by 8 men in central India
NEW DELHI (AP) - A Swiss woman who was on a cycling trip in central India with her husband has been gang-raped by eight men, police said Saturday. The attack comes three months after the fatal gang-rape of a woman aboard a New Delhi bus outraged Indians.
Authorities detained and questioned 13 men in connection with the latest attack, which occurred Friday night as the couple camped out in a forest in Madhya Pradesh state after bicycling from the temple town of Orchha, local police officer R.K. Gurjar said.
The men beat the couple and gang-raped the woman, he said. They also stole the couple's mobile phone, a laptop computer and 10,000 rupees ($185).
The woman, 39, was treated at a hospital in the nearby city of Gwalior, Gurjar said, adding that she and her husband apparently suffered no major injuries.
A photo showed the woman - her identity concealed with a hood - walking while being escorted by police to the hospital. Indian law does not allow rape victims to be identified publicly to protect victims from the stigma that is attached to rape in the conservative country.
Police detained 13 men and questioned them, Gurjar said. Six of the men were released after questioning. No other details were immediately available.
Indian television stations showed scores of police searching the forest where the attack occurred.
Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Tilman Renz described the case as "deeply disturbing" and said Swiss diplomats were assisting the couple.
The diplomats called on Indian authorities "to do everything to quickly find the perpetrators so that they can be held accountable," Renz said in a statement.
Last month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that included a warning about "increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual offenses" in the South Asian nation.
India has seen outrage and widespread protests against attacks on women since December's fatal gang-rape of a young woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, the capital. The crime horrified Indians and set off nationwide protests about India's treatment of women and spurred the government to hurry through a new package of laws to protect them.
One of six suspects in the December attack was found dead in a New Delhi jail this past week. Authorities said he hanged himself, but his family and lawyer insisted foul play was involved. A magistrate is investigating. Four other men and a juvenile remain on trial for the attack.
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Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
Authorities detained and questioned 13 men in connection with the latest attack, which occurred Friday night as the couple camped out in a forest in Madhya Pradesh state after bicycling from the temple town of Orchha, local police officer R.K. Gurjar said.
The men beat the couple and gang-raped the woman, he said. They also stole the couple's mobile phone, a laptop computer and 10,000 rupees ($185).
The woman, 39, was treated at a hospital in the nearby city of Gwalior, Gurjar said, adding that she and her husband apparently suffered no major injuries.
A photo showed the woman - her identity concealed with a hood - walking while being escorted by police to the hospital. Indian law does not allow rape victims to be identified publicly to protect victims from the stigma that is attached to rape in the conservative country.
Police detained 13 men and questioned them, Gurjar said. Six of the men were released after questioning. No other details were immediately available.
Indian television stations showed scores of police searching the forest where the attack occurred.
Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Tilman Renz described the case as "deeply disturbing" and said Swiss diplomats were assisting the couple.
The diplomats called on Indian authorities "to do everything to quickly find the perpetrators so that they can be held accountable," Renz said in a statement.
Last month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that included a warning about "increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual offenses" in the South Asian nation.
India has seen outrage and widespread protests against attacks on women since December's fatal gang-rape of a young woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, the capital. The crime horrified Indians and set off nationwide protests about India's treatment of women and spurred the government to hurry through a new package of laws to protect them.
One of six suspects in the December attack was found dead in a New Delhi jail this past week. Authorities said he hanged himself, but his family and lawyer insisted foul play was involved. A magistrate is investigating. Four other men and a juvenile remain on trial for the attack.
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Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
come visit India's world renowned rape district.yeah, i don't think that will be good for tourism
@Phuzz Here come the ugly chicks....
The poor woman! I hope that news of this incident dissuades other would-be tourists from visiting a country that makes so little effort to protect the innocent.
People don't want to face facts, but once again, both the basic cause and solution are obvious.Â
The woman and her husband were unarmed tourists. Had they been armed, they probably could have defended themselves.Â
This wasn't a crime of economic necessity. It appears to have been a "recreational" (optional) crime. The more a would-be perpetrator is assured a defenseless victim, the more likely that a crime will be committed.Â
Even if India were to allow personal weapons -- which it doesn't -- it would be unlikely that foreigners would be permitted firearms. Nevertheless, this incident illustrates how an environment that encourages crime is created.
I dont blame those men. Its nice to have a hot blonde visit once in awhile
Horrible! What's wrong with those men in India these days? We (women) should stay away from India for awhile now.
"...adding that she and her husband apparently suffered no major injuries."
NO MAJOR INJURIES???? I'm surprised they made the woman walk.
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@feral lol
More peace loving Muslims I take it. That Allah hes one crazy guy!Â
@Richard Goezinyah Why do you say Muslims? A little over 13% of people in India identify themselves as being Muslim. Odd that all these cases would be Muslims.
What do you with a country that respects Cows more that women,....Indian society at large has a serious problem in its views of women; Look what is happening South of our border at tourism to a country that is killing each other in a drug war, and India should suffer the same fate Because of their open negative views of the female race and until that changes tourists need to boycott India. Seems harsh?..... Gang rape is much worse than cartel members killing each other......and when caught They need to remove their rape tool and put them in prison, where they will get a taste of their own pastime.
@shadowwalker I respect cows.
@shadowwalker you think this is bad? Have you heard of "Saudi Araba" ? middle east in general you cant even show your face.....now we are talking "negative view"Â
@toobadsoosad And Saudi Arabia, too! They're just as bad or worse. All the men should be wearing burkas. Like walking around all day in a tent...see how they like it. Probably why they're always so angry, never getting to look at a pretty face all day, then getting home and seeing that 300 pound cow they married. But then, he's no prize either. 250 pounds of tea-swilling, sweating camel dung-smelling ("Why does he smell like camel dung," she thinks to herself.) Having to eat that hummus and feelawful stuff, and that greasy lamb and goat cheese. Can't we get a decent pork chop around here?
Oh, where was I...oh yeah, equality would be a big step forward.
@toobadsoosad @shadowwalker Berkas were invented for ugly control
The attack comes three months after the fatal gang-rape of a woman aboard a New Delhi bus outraged Indians???
Indian law does not allow rape victims to be identified publicly to protect victims from the stigma that is attached to rape in the conservative country.
Gee just like republicans here.
Oh Wait their protecting the guilty here
@uknow2 Huh? What, are you stupid?
Look, when I traveled in El Salvador & Russia I kept my head down and my mouth shut. When I went through the airport in San Salvador I put my watch in my pocket so that no one would be temped to tear it off my arm and run off with it. And we always kept some cash in the cup holder to "tip" any police that stopped us. When I travel internationally I spend up to a year learning the language, history, customs, etc. that way I blend in. Bicycling for pleasure in the countryside may be a safe outing in Switzerland but not so in India. I can only imaging that they stood out in rural India. And $185.00 is one hell of a lot of money to people who live on a few hundred dollars a year.
Having said that my next trip will be to India in a few years but I will go with Indian friends or with a tour group. That way you have some support there. I will probably be spending some time in Kerala, Karnataka, Mumbai, etc. but not in Shringar (Moslem terrorist) Assam (insurgency) Orissa (communist gurellas). You can see my point.
Play safe kids and read up before you go. The internet is your friend. You can follow the news overseas as you plan your trip.
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@lousecrapton Learning the language and customs does not imply fluency. Common sense would be to learn some of the basic words and phrases so that you do not appear disrespectful in another country. I know the basics of maybe 5 different language, but could not hold a conversation with all. I do however know enough so that I can let someone know (in their language) that I speak English, locate the nearest, hotel, restaurant, police, etc. Common courtesy is something that many people in this country are lacking as most think, I am American, bow down and answer my questions.
@moejReally? Learned a bit of the language before visiting Germany (went 4 or 5 times). We were always treated with courtesy and friendship. It was the Americans who went as superior, loud, obnoxious, condescending jerks (to most European countries we visited) that were the embarrassments.Â
@Willow @lousecraptonAmericans hardly hold the monopoly on that attitude. Americans usually rate quite high on courtesy when compared to many other countries. Germans usually rate the lowest.Â
So this is how people in a "conservative" country act?
I hope the Tea Party and the donkeyclowns leading it are watching.
@Mikey Yeah-suspected rapists are found dead in their cell
@tally Yeah...who needs Rule of Law anyway. :-P
@tally Apparently in India...
@Mikey @tally Which laws? The laws of the jungle?
rape should be illegal there is too much of it going on.
THey need to just shoot those POS
@LostSoul naw, shooting is overly nice. Good o'l fashion beat down. Curb stomping is required.  Than pay some people after they have been beatin to gang rape them.
not sure curbing would do much more than knock out their last remaining tooth. I say quarter them
@TreeWizard My idea: old fashioned stoning in a public place where people can buy stones to throw at them. That way they die slowly and the money from the stone purchases can be given to the victims. It's what we should do here to rapists and child molesters.
Exactly ! ...."those savages, we should stone them and curb stomp them".....some people don't have ANY mirrors in their houses !!