Description
The expression 'adding insult to injury' does not even come close to describing the couple's ordeal and the decision by someone, perhaps a local police official, hopefully not anyone remotely associated with the Tourism Authorities, to make the husband of a gang-raped Brazilian-Spanish woman, who was also badly beaten, pose with a check for the cameras. According to police reports, the couple, travel bloggers with thousands of online followers, were touring India by motorcycle and had camped overnight in a rural area of Jharkhand state’s Dumka when they were attacked by 7 men. So far there have been 8 arrests. Rape crime is growing in India in recent years with nearly 90 rapes reported every day and an unknown number remaining unreported for fear of reprisal, stigma, a mistrust of police and a culture of impunity where rape reinforces caste divisions. While the abuse of thousands of low cast and tribal women in particular goes unreported, this incident which has taken international proportions will hopefully pressure the authorities to take real action.
Location
Dumka, Jharkhand