NEW DELHI — Authorities in the south of India have announced the arrest of two individuals regarding serious accusations of gang rape involving an Israeli tourist and a local woman.
This incident occurred as the Israeli tourist, along with her local homestay host, was stargazing with three travelers—a person from America and two Indian nationals—on Thursday night in Koppal, Karnataka, according to police representative Ram L. Arasiddi.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the trouble began when three men on a motorcycle approached them, demanding money. A confrontation ensued, leading to the three male travelers being forced into a water canal. During this altercation, the women were sexually assaulted. Tragically, one of the Indian travelers drowned, with his body being found on Saturday. The American and the second Indian traveler managed to escape the water.
Koppal is located roughly 350 kilometers (about 217 miles) from Bengaluru, a major technological hub in India.
Arasiddi disclosed that a dedicated investigative team has been formed, resulting in the arrest of two of the three suspects as of Saturday. They face pending charges of attempted murder, gang rape, and robbery.
Notably, the identity of sexual assault victims is generally withheld in media reports to protect their privacy.
The issue of sexual assaults against women is a pressing concern in India. Police logged 31,516 cases of rape in 2022, indicating a 20% rise compared to the previous year, as per the National Crime Records Bureau. The actual number of cases, however, is likely higher due to societal stigma and widespread distrust in law enforcement.
The focus on sexual violence intensified following a notorious 2012 incident involving the gang rape and murder of a student on a bus in New Delhi. The case triggered widespread protests, urging lawmakers to create expedited court processes specifically for rape cases and to enforce harsher penalties.
Subsequently, in 2013, modifications to the rape law included making stalking and voyeurism punishable offenses and reduced the age from 18 to 16 for individuals being tried as adults. Additionally, in 2018, the government sanctioned the death penalty for those convicted of raping children under 12 years old.
Despite the existence of these stringent laws, reports of violent sexual assaults surface with troubling regularity.
High-profile assaults involving foreign tourists in India continue to garner global attention. Incidents include an alleged rape of a Spanish tourist’s wife last year and an Indian-American woman’s assault at a New Delhi hotel. In 2022, a British tourist suffered a similar fate in the presence of her partner in Goa.
