03/03/2024 – 13:22
The husband of the Brazilian tourist victim of gang rape in eastern India reported, through a video posted on social media, that the criminals put a knife to his neck and attacked him during the attack that ended with sexual assault against her. Vicente, who is Spanish, and Fernanda maintain an online travel channel and went on a long expedition through Asian countries.
With bruises on their faces, Vicente and Fernanda, who also has Spanish citizenship, narrate the moments of terror in the video. The group of seven men attacked them in the camping tent they had set up, in a remote area, to spend the night from Friday the 1st to Saturday the 2nd. The two were traveling across the country on a motorcycle.
“We were attacked, beaten, they put a knife to my neck and raped Fernanda,” said Vicente in the video, which no longer appears on their profile.
The sexual violence occurred in Dumka district, Jharkhand state. Three suspects in the crime have already been arrested this Saturday, the 2nd, and the police are looking for others involved. Police estimate that up to ten people participated. Travelers were also robbed.
The complaint was reported on Saturday, shortly after the incident. But as the agents only knew how to speak Hindi, the local language, authorities only knew it was a rape when they both arrived at the hospital.
When showing the bruises on his face, Vicente also highlighted the blows received with a helmet. “My mouth is destroyed,” he said. “They hit me several times with a helmet and hit my head with a rock.”
The couple, who spent the first night after the episode under medical treatment, have already been transferred to a government unit. They have already given a statement to a judge.
On her own profile, Fernanda also published a video about the incident. “My face looks like this, but that's not what hurts me the most. I thought we were going to die, but thank God we are alive”, she said, showing her badly bruised face.
Couple maintains travel channel around the world
The influencer couple Vivente and Fernanda are known for their profile @vueltaalmundoenmoto, where they report on motorcycle trips around the world, detailing the roads, campsites, as well as the culture of the places visited.
On the Instagram profile, which has more than 166 thousand followers, trips are described, the most recent of which is to India, where the couple were victims of the attack. Of the 196 nations that listed their intention to visit, they have already been to at least 66.
According to the couple, the “Volta ao Mundo de Moto” project consists of traveling to all countries where motorcycles are allowed. The idea is not just to cross them, but to visit them and spend some time there to get to know them better.
The couple traveled from Spain to tour several Asian countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
When contacted, Itamaraty and the Brazilian Embassy in New Delhi did not respond. The space remains open for manifestation.
On social media, the Spanish Embassy in the Asian country thanked the expressions of support and defended the fight against violence against women.
Asian country has an average of 90 sexual assaults per day
The law establishes severe penalties for rape, most of which are non-bailable. Rape, according to the Indian Penal Code, is punishable by at least 10 years in prison, and gang rape by life imprisonment. After the statements, the police may ask the victim to recognize the attackers, and they must also undergo medical examinations.
Convictions, however, are rare and many complaints end up stagnant in the saturated judicial system of the country, which has the largest population on the planet.
In 2012, the case of a student who was the victim of a gang rape and then murdered made headlines around the world. Jyoti Singh, a 23-year-old psychotherapy student, was raped and left for dead by five men and a teenager on a bus in New Delhi in December of that year.
The case brought to light the high levels of sexual violence in India and led to weeks of protests and a change in legislation to punish the crime of rape with the death penalty.
(WITH INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES)
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