American tourist gang-raped in India

A 30-year-old American tourist has been gang-raped in India.

The woman was attacked in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. She was returning to her accommodation in Manali, a popular designation for backpackers in the Himalayan foothills, after visiting a nearby hot spring in Vashisth, reports the BBC.

However, she failed to find a taxi and accepted a lift a from a trucker.

Instead of taking her back to Manali, the driver took her 10 miles in another direction, where he and two other men raped her.

Superintendent Vinod Kumar Dhawan of Kullu police spoke to the Daily Telegraph about the incident, saying: "They took her 18kms away for the Manali town and gang-raped her before dumping her by a bridge in the morning.

"She could not note the truck number due to darkness but has given some important leads on which we are working. She was traumatised and required medical attention. A test to confirm rape was conducted and we are awaiting the report."

The news comes after a spate of sexual attacks on foreigners in India.

An Irish gap year student was allegedly raped in Calcutta last week; a Swiss cyclist was gang-raped in Madhya Pradesh in March, while in the same month a British woman jumped from her second floor hotel room to escape an assault by a hotel worker.

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