Six Men Arrested in India for Gang-Rape of Swiss Tourist

Another day, another horrific gang-rape. Obviously this could have happened anywhere there are people, this particular case went down in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district.

On a stop over from their bike trip from Orchha to Agra on Friday, a Swiss woman and her husband were accosted and beaten — and then the woman was raped by six men in front of her husband. The men then robbed them, and left.

Those six men are now in custody, and local police official SM Afzal told the BBC that there are twenty others being questioned in connection. The woman and her husband have left Madhya Pradesh and have reached the Swiss embassy in New Delhi.

Interestingly, the Swiss government issued a travel alert for India warning about “increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual offenses.” Although it’s probably true that there isn’t an increase in rapes, but possibly in reports and/or the fact that we’re just hearing about them more.

Travel industry representatives in India said the attack, coming so soon after the December gang rape in New Delhi, would affect tourism.

“Such incidents will definitely have a negative impact on tourism. It is very unfortunate,” said Subhash Goyal, head of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.

Of course, this is something that could happen in any country at any time, and has nothing to do with India. It’s very likely this is getting International press because it’s a white woman in India, but that doesn’t make the case itself any less important. It just means that other cases in the country (and everywhere else) need the same amounts of attention.