인도 중심부를 여행하던 스위스의 한 여인이 남편이 보는 앞에서 집단 성폭행을 당했다고 경찰은 토요일 보도했다.

자전거 여행 중이었던 이 주부는 인도 마디아프라데시주(州)의 한 지역에서 캠핑을 하려던 중 7~8명의 남성에게 집단 성폭행을 당했다. 이들은 부부를 구타하고 부인을 집단 성폭행한 뒤 핸드폰, 노트북과 1만 루피(약 20만원)을 빼앗았다.

사고를 당한 여성은 지방의 한 병원에 입원해있으며 심각한 부상은 없는 것으로 알려졌다.

스위스 외교부 대변인은 이번 사건에 “깊은 유감”을 표하며 인도당국에게 “가해자를 속히 찾아 그들의 행동에 책임을 질 수 있도록 조속한 수사를 요청한다”고 밝혔다.

앞서 지난해 겨울 수도 뉴델리에서 벌어진 ‘여대생 버스 집단성폭행사건’이 벌어진 바 있다. 이 사건으로 말미암아 전국적인 성폭행 예방 대책안 촉구시위가 벌어졌다.

여대생 버스 집단성폭행사건에 연루된 가해자 중 한명은 지난 주 뉴델리 교도소에서 숨진 채로 발견됐다. 감독당국은 그가 스스로 목매달아 죽었다고 공식 입장을 내놓았지만 변호인과 가족들은 살인사건이라고 주장하고 있다. (코리아헤럴드)

<관련 영문 기사>

Swiss tourist gang-raped in central India

A Swiss woman who was on a cycling trip in central India with her husband has been gang-raped by eight men, police said Saturday. The attack comes three months after the fatal gang-rape of a woman aboard a New Delhi bus outraged Indians.

Authorities detained and questioned 13 men in connection with the latest attack, which occurred Friday night as the couple camped out in a forest in Madhya Pradesh state after bicycling from the temple town of Orchha, local police officer R.K. Gurjar said.

The men beat the couple and gang-raped the woman, he said. They also stole the couple's mobile phone, a laptop computer and 10,000 rupees ($185).

The woman, 39, was treated at a hospital in the nearby city of Gwalior, Gurjar said, adding that she and her husband apparently suffered no major injuries.

A photo showed the woman _ her identity concealed with a hood _ walking while being escorted by police to the hospital. Indian law does not allow rape victims to be identified publicly to protect victims from the stigma that is attached to rape in the conservative country.

Police detained 13 men and questioned them, Gurjar said. Six of the men were released after questioning. No other details were immediately available.

Indian television stations showed scores of police searching the forest where the attack occurred.

Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Tilman Renz described the case as “deeply disturbing” and said Swiss diplomats were assisting the couple.

The diplomats called on Indian authorities “to do everything to quickly find the perpetrators so that they can be held accountable,” Renz said in a statement.

Last month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that included a warning about “increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual offenses” in the South Asian nation.

India has seen outrage and widespread protests against attacks on women since December's fatal gang-rape of a young woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, the capital. The crime horrified Indians and set off nationwide protests about India's treatment of women and spurred the government to hurry through a new package of laws to protect them.

One of six suspects in the December attack was found dead in a New Delhi jail this past week. Authorities said he hanged himself, but his family and lawyer insisted foul play was involved. A magistrate is investigating. Four other men and a juvenile remain on trial for the attack. (AP)