Tourism India cycling tour ended with sexual assault and gang rape by Indian men

The danger of being gang raped is now a threat for the tourism industry in India. A Swiss citizen on a tourist cycling trip to India was the latest victim in such a crime when gang raped by Indian men.

Campaigners in India are calling for tougher penalties for sex offenders after a massive rise in the number of rapes. According to the latest government figures, a woman is now raped in India every 20 minutes.

But despite the increase in sex attacks, the number of convictions is falling. In the last 12 months, there have been a number of high-profile cases which have caused outrage across the nation. One of the most shocking attacks happened in the state of Haryana. Unusually, the victim waived her right to anonymity.
Shabnam, 16, was gang raped by 8 men from her village. Her attackers filmed the assault on their mobile telephone. The 23-year-old physiotherapy student was attacked on a moving bus and thrown bleeding onto the street.

She died later in hospital in Singapore.

Yesterday, police in India said more than 20 people have been arrested in connection with a reported rape of a Swiss woman by a group of men.

The assault on the 39-year-old Swiss citizen happened in a forest in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

The woman was on a cycling holiday with her husband.

It is reported that at least eight men attacked the couple in their tent and stole their valuables.

The woman was later treated in a hospital.

The Swiss embassy has demanded a thorough investigation.

The attack again has turned the spotlight on the security of women in India.

One woman is raped every 20 minutes in India, according to the Indian National Crime Records Bureau. But police estimate only 4 out of 10 rapes are reported, largely due to victims’ fear of being shamed by their families and communities.

A preference for sons and the illegal practice of female infanticide and foeticide have left some Indian states with a badly-skewed sex ratio. In Haryana, there are just 830 girls per 1,000 boys. Women’s rights campaigner, Rishi Kant, says the problems are deep-rooted within Indian society. “Young boys are doing all these crimes, which are very heinous crimes, and they should be booked immediately with a fast track court so that a proper sentence can be given against them.”

Campaigners say India’s laws for the protection of women are robust but are demanding better policing and stiffer jail terms.