The Spanish tourist, who was allegedly gang-raped while on a bike tour with her husband in Jharkhand, has released a video on YouTube in which she has described the horror she went through. In the nearly one-hour-long video, the couple said “a lot has been said, some things were true and others were lies”, and they wanted to “reflect on what really happened”. The alleged assault took place on March 2 when the 28-year-old was spending the night with her partner in a makeshift tent. The couple, now back in Spain, have visited 67 countries on their ongoing bike trip, which they have resumed.
The couple also said in the video that they want to “put an end to this unpleasant stage”.
The video begins with the couple looking for a spot to camp overnight while crossing Dumka. They were looking to stay at a place away from people, but are soon surrounded by locals who enquire about their journey.
The woman claims she was raped by seven men, and the video also shows one of the alleged perpetrators. After describing the incident, the video then shows the couple in hospital with bruises on the faces and hands.
“We decided to record everything, as we didn’t really know what was going to happen. If the police were going to take us seriously, if they were going to send us home, we didn’t know,” a text super on the video read.
The couple left for Spain on March 5 and spoke to South China Morning Post about the incident.
“I think everyone in the world expects me to say ‘Don’t go to India’, but life is far more complicated than that. What happened to me in India could have happened anywhere else. Not so long ago, a couple travelling in Belize, in Central America, the same thing happened to them,” the woman had told the outlet.
“My advice to women is to get out of the house, travel and do so without fear. If you are going to camp, it should be in a place not too far from the road where you can easily call for help and have a signal for your phone,” she had further said.
She, however, added that they intend to continue their bike trips.
In India, the Ministry of External Affairs had said days after the incident that the matter is “under investigation” and several people arrested.
