Swiss Tourist Gang-Raped In India While Camping With Her Husband

[Scherbatsky]

Re: Swiss Tourist Gang-Raped In India While Camping With Her Husband

@Southie

Shameful statement by MP police

@mAd_ScIeNtIsT

India’s police say that the woman should share the blame for getting raped. How progressive.

Six men arrested over gang-rape of Swiss tourist in India appear in court as police say woman must share blame for attack - Asia - World - The Independent

Yesterday, a spokesman for Madhya Pradesh police caused anger by suggesting that the Swiss woman and her husband were partly to blame for the attack. Inspector Avnesh Kumar Budholiya said the tourists had been careless in travelling to a remote part of the country they knew little about.

“No one stops there,” he said. “Why did they choose that place? They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They would have passed a police station on the way to the area they camped. They should have stopped and asked about places to sleep.”

If I left the resort in Mexico and went off into some lawless town, would the officials not partially question my actions should I become a victim of a heinous crime?

Not sure about ‘sharing blame’ but it is wise to do research when travelling in a developing nation - especially as a woman - on the safety and security issues. Having seen the media’s uproar on the Delhi gang rape, the world was made aware of the frequency of rape incidents in India in a renewed light; so naturally tourists would and should be ultra cautious and play it extra safe. Venturing off in the middle of nowhere in any part of the world has its risks - yet alone a nation where true gender equality and power-balance is still a struggle. So I agree the tourists should be more careful.

Again, by no means am I blaming the victim but I can understand the officials’ frustrations when tourists expose their vulnerabilities unknowingly.