The Spanish woman of Brazilian origin who suffered a brutal attack last Friday with her husband in a remote province in the northeast of India recounted this Sunday in an interview with EFE how she was raped by seven men several times for two or three hours, but that Despite this, he is grateful to be alive. "The seven of them have all raped me, several times. While two or three watched him (her partner), two or three came and took turns," explained Fernanda, an experienced traveler who, together with her partner Vicente, who was brutally beaten, He traveled the world on a motorcycle and had camped in a secluded esplanade in the village of Kunji, Jharkhand state.
In a Government safe house in the Dumka district, about 50 kilometers from where the attack took place, and with permanent police surveillance, the Spanish couple recounted how the seven men, who according to the Police are between 18 and 30 years old, kept the husband, naked, tied and beaten, while two or three others abused her. "I didn't see her and I thought, they've killed her," he says that she was on the ground all that time receiving blows and kicks.
In the detailed account of the event, she explains that about three hours later she believes that "they were tired or did not want to take any more risks" and that one of them gave her clothes to dress before leaving the bushes where they were.
The couple, who went to court this Sunday to give a statement before the judge, clarified that unlike many other places where they have traveled in India, they do not usually camp, but not for safety but because "there are a lot of people everywhere and there is no They leave you alone."
The two victims, who appear serene and relieved to be alive, insist, during the interview with EFE in the presence of three police officers, on their experience as travelers. "We have traveled 66 countries, 170,000 km. We have spent several months in Africa, throughout the Middle East, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and a lot of time in places," he says, remembering that she was the first woman to enter motorcycle to Afghanistan (at the time of the Taliban). The two travelers plan to leave India on Tuesday by motorcycle and travel to Nepal from where they will fly to Spain.
The Police, who have already identified all the suspects, have given special importance to the case, which has received great media attention in India, in part because the victims are two foreigners. "We hope that this helps to ensure that the penalties are harsh, here in India the penalties are harsh, and whoever thinks of doing something like this should think twice," he comments, insisting that despite these cases, India is a safe country. , as is the rest of Asia.
This Monday, the couple received a check worth one million rupees - 11,121.75 euros - as compensation after the gang rape. The delivery of the compensation took place in the Government 'safe house' to which the two travelers were transferred on Saturday night.
"We have given a compensation of one million rupees to the husband. We are conducting a thorough investigation and will try to ensure a speedy trial and conviction," Anjaneyulu Dodde, deputy commissioner of Dumka district in the northern state of Jharkhand, told the media. , where the attack occurred.
On their Instagram account (@vueltaalmundoenmoto), the influencer couple provided more details in the stories about how they feel and thanked them for the support they received. At the same time, the victim showed her anger at the comments received accusing them of having asked for it. "A rape or robbery can happen to everyone. No one is immune from it in any country."
His partner insisted they had "never had a problem." "The vast majority of people are very nice and there is security in Asia, more than in Europe or America. You can leave your motorcycle loaded and go to eat and find it the same when you return. Do it in Barcelona or Madrid." Finally, the couple wanted to send a message: "we are not going to stop living. It is our life and we are strong people."
Rape is a burden that affects all of India, and Jharkhand is among the ten provinces with the highest number of cases of sexual assault and rape, along with Rajasthan and New Delhi. India's latest crime report, which corresponds to 2022, recorded 31,500 cases of rape in that year alone, approximately 86 rapes per day.
The crime report attributes a very small percentage, less than 2%, to foreign victims, although this may be partly due to the difficulties of initiating a police case by non-national women, in some cases tourists, and distrust of the authorities. .
Dumka and its surroundings were never hospitable. The region has a basic infrastructure, and a large part of its population is poor, marginalized, with a very low level of literacy and without privileges.
