Five men jailed for life for robbing and raping lost tourist in Indian capital

Five men were sentenced to life in prison on Friday for raping a Danish tourist in the heart of New Delhi’s tourist district in 2014. The men, all in their 20s, were found guilty of robbing and raping the 52-year old at a secluded spot close to New Delhi railway station. The case again cast a spotlight on the problem of violence against women in India and public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava called it a barbaric crime. He said as it was committed against a foreigner, a message should be sent that the rule of law prevailed in India.

All the five convicts have been sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment for their offences

Public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava

The victim was walking through an area of narrow lanes near Delhi’s Paharganj district in January 2014 when she asked a group of men for directions to her hotel. But they lured her to an area near the station where they raped her and robbed her at knife-point. Police arrested nine men over the crime; three were juveniles at the time and will be tried separately, while a fourth died before the case came to court. Lawyers for the convicted five said they would appeal, claiming they deserved leniency because they were from poor backgrounds.

The accused men robbed the victim of her iPad, €750 and her bag. One of them had a knife with which they threatened her and took turns in raping her. The woman was then confined for around three hours by these men.

One police investigator

India rape