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On Saturday, Indian media widely covered the report of the gang rape of an Israeli woman and a local guesthouse owner, noting the date of the incident — International Women’s Day. The gang rape was also reported by leading global news agencies, including AP and Reuters, as well as major British outlets such as BBC, Sky News, and The Guardian.
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Where the rape occurred
(Video: Reuters)
The incident occurred near the village of Sanapur in the Karnataka state. The two women were traveling with three tourists — two Americans and one Indian — who were thrown into a canal by the attackers before the women were assaulted. Two of the men were injured but managed to swim out, while the third drowned, and his body was found Saturday morning. Two suspects, aged 21 and 22, have been arrested, and a manhunt for the third suspect is ongoing.
Indian media reported that two of the suspects raped the guesthouse owner, while the third raped the Israeli tourist. According to the reports, the victims — who had gone stargazing near the canal in the Hampi area — did not know each other beforehand and had met at the guesthouse. Hampi is a town in Karnataka, and some of its areas, including ancient temples, are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many Israelis visit the area.
Crimes against women in India garnered worldwide headlines last year after a junior doctor in a public hospital was raped and murdered. That case led to massive protests by doctors and strikes in protest of inadequate security measures, but gang rape incidents have been happening in India for quite a while. In 2016, a 25-yea-old Israeli woman travelling in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, was gang raped after a car with six men in it offered her a ride.
According to official Indian data, in 2022, 31,516 rape complaints were filed with the police, a 20% increase compared to 2021. However, it is estimated that the actual numbers are much higher because many rapes and other acts of violence go unreported due to a lack of trust in the police and the social stigma still often attached to sexually assaulted women.
Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of Karnataka, who effectively leads the state, addressed the rape in Hampi, saying: "The horrific attack and rape of an Israeli citizen and a guesthouse owner are heinous crimes. As soon as the incident was reported, I instructed the police to take immediate action, conduct a thorough investigation, and quickly apprehend the culprits. The police have already arrested two suspects and are continuing the investigation. Our government is committed to ensuring the safety of every individual, including tourists. We will take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents from recurring."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not refer to the case directly, but in his speech yesterday on International Women’s Day, he emphasized the importance his government places on protecting women. "When a daughter comes home late, her parents ask questions. But they do not ask similar questions when a son comes home late. Over the past decade, we have prioritized women's safety and security. To stop crimes against women, we have changed laws and established the death penalty for heinous acts like rape," he said.
The full and disturbing testimony of the guesthouse owner, who was raped and filed a complaint with the police, was revealed Saturday. This is how she described the incident: "After dinner, we decided to go stargazing. We rode scooters to the banks of the Tungabhadra canal near Sanapur Lake. While we were stargazing and playing the guitar, around 10:30 p.m., three men on a motorcycle approached us and asked for fuel."
She told them there was no nearby gas station and that they could find fuel in Sanapur. According to her testimony, one of the men suddenly demanded 100 rupees (less than $2): "They didn’t know us, so I told them I didn’t have any money. But they kept demanding and demanding until one of the male tourists gave them 20 rupees."
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According to her, when the tourists refused to give them more money, the suspects began arguing with them and threatening them with stones. Two of the men attacked and raped the women, while the third pushed the male tourists into the canal and hit them with stones.
"I was bleeding heavily. Two of the attackers joined forces and dragged me to the side of the canal. One of them strangled me and removed my clothes. One after another, they beat me and raped me." She recounted that the attackers stole her bag and fled with two mobile phones and 9,500 rupees. One of the suspects dragged the Israeli tourist and raped her. "When we screamed and cried, the three fled on their motorcycle," said the guesthouse owner.
Two of the suspects have been arrested and are charged with gang rape, extortion, and attempted murder. According to the police, the two detainees confessed to the rape and said they had consumed alcohol at a bar before the incident.