USEUROPEAFRICAASIA 中文双语Français
Home / World

2 arrested in tourist gang rape, more being sought

By Ashok Sharma in New Delhi, India | China Daily | Updated: 2014-01-17 07:20

Two suspects arrested in the gang rape of a 51-year-old Danish tourist in New Delhi are unemployed young men who allegedly attacked the woman for nearly three hours before fleeing with her belongings, police said on Thursday.

The two were picked up late on Wednesday from a park near the scene of the crime, police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said. Investigators were closing in other suspects after the two provided details during questioning, he said.

Police said the tourist was raped at knifepoint on Tuesday near Connaught Place, a popular shopping area in the heart of New Delhi. The woman got lost and approached a group of men for directions back to her hotel. Instead of helping her, the men lured her to a secluded spot and raped her repeatedly, according to police.

One of the suspects was found with the victim's glasses case and 1,000 rupees ($16) in cash, a police statement said. The other suspect had an iPod and a pair of earphones. He also had a mobile phone that police said was purchased with money stolen from the victim.

2 arrested in tourist gang rape, more being sought

The problem of sexual violence in India has gained widespread attention since the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in December 2012. Public fury over the case has led to more stringent laws that doubled prison terms for rape to 20 years and criminalized voyeurism and stalking.

But for many women, daily indignities and abuse continue unabated and the new laws have not made the streets any safer.

Still, there has been a surge in the number of rapes being reported recently, suggesting women are emboldened to speak up. Between January and October last year, 1,330 rapes were reported in Delhi and its suburbs, compared with 706 for all of 2012, according to government figures.

Foreigners have also been targets, including a Swiss woman who was cycling with her husband in central India when she was gang-raped.

The cases threaten India's lucrative tourism industry. Last year, the Tourism Ministry launched an "I Respect Women" campaign to reassure travelers. Tourism accounted for 6.6 percent of India's GDP in 2012, the latest year for which figures are available.

The Associated Press

 2 arrested in tourist gang rape, more being sought

Indian policemen escort a suspect in the gang rape of a Danish tourist at the Tis Hazari Courts in New Delhi on Thursday. Manan Vatsyayana / Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 01/17/2014 page10)

Today's Top News

Editor's picks

Most Viewed

Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US