Women and Girls to Blame for Rapes in Goa Because of Their Beachwear

According to senior government officials, as well as apparent public opinion, if you’re a woman or a female child in Goa, you invite unwarranted attention and even serious sexual assault or rape if you dress provocatively in clothing such as a bikini on the beach.

This is the news we are receiving from the Indian state of Goa, once a place renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage sites, now a place tourists are being warned to avoid if they want to stay safe.

Now, you may think we’re being hysterical in reporting this news in such a provocative way – but would you want your wife, your mother, your sister or your daughter unwittingly placing herself in grave physical danger when visiting a country so welcoming on the surface, and yet so seemingly uncaring and even dangerous if you scrape a tiny way beneath?

Following a high profile and horrendous sexual crime perpetrated against a nine year old Russian girl in Goa in January, instead of pouring cool and calming waters on the fire that is raging out of control in this Indian state at the moment as visitors literally fear for their safety, Pamela Mascarhenas, Goa's Deputy Director of Tourism has outwardly criticised female visitors of all ages and races who visit this particular part of India.

In the GlobalPost Mascarhenas is quoted as saying: “You can't blame the locals; they have never seen such women. Foreign tourists must maintain a certain degree of modesty in their clothing. Walking on the beaches half-naked is bound to titillate the senses.” According to a resident of Goa and another GlobalPost source: “In India they still morally land the responsibility on the victim if the victim is a woman, because of cultural conditioning [the impression is always that] she must have done something to provoke it. It's a national mindset.”

Whilst we wholeheartedly back those who urge tourists and expatriates to learn about, observe and respect local traditions, moral values and cultural conditioning whenever and wherever they venture overseas, we will never support anyone who lays the blame for rape and assault at a woman or girl’s feet because she has dressed ‘provocatively.’

How can you claim a 9 year old child in a swimming costume was ‘asking for it’ as she played on a public, tourist-infested beach in the most touristic part of a nation that actively promotes its tourism appeal?

In commenting on the latest incident of rape in Goa, the Russian Embassy issued the following statement: "We are shocked and deeply outraged by the reports about the disgusting incident in India's well-known resort in Goa when a 9-year-old child from Russia became another victim of a rapist.” Yet whilst the rest of the world reels back in horror as they hear about tales of assault coming from Goa such as the one against the Russian child and the rape and murder of British teenager Scarlett Keeling back in 2008, it seems local authorities barely even care.

February’s Editor
Outraged – yes…Outspoken – maybe?

Image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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