British Tourist In India Raped In Front Of Husband By Man Who Offered Massage

A British tourist in India was raped in front of her husband by a man who offered her a massage.

The incident took place at the famous Sweet Lake in Arambol in the southwestern state of Goa on June 2. The woman filed a police complaint on June 6 after consulting with her family in the U.K. and seeking assistance from the British Embassy in India.

A Pernem police team, led by inspector Vikram Naik, arrested the suspect within an hour since the complaint was lodged, NDTV reported. The man was identified as Joel D'Souza, a 32-year-old local resident who previously worked as a school librarian.

"We have contacted the police station concerned to get his past records. Currently, he is not working as a librarian," a police official told the outlet. The suspect and the victim were both sent for medical examination at the district hospital in Mapusa town near Panaji.

The woman and her husband had just returned from a trek to Arambol village, which sits 40 kilometers north of the state, when she was approached by the suspect who belonged to a group that was offering massage services to tourists, according to Hindusthan Times.

The victim, whose name has not been disclosed, claimed that the suspect inappropriately touched her breasts and inserted his finger into her vagina during the massage. The woman's husband was sitting next to her but didn't realize what was happening. He only learned about the abuse when she told her about it later, the outlet reported.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the suspect under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Court. He is set to appear in court next week.

Dotted with tropical beaches and unique trekking spots, Goa receives a huge influx of international travelers every year. Britons, in fact, ranked as the second-largest group of foreign nationals visiting the state in 2018. Most foreign groups visit Goa in hopes to explore the cuisine that is hugely influenced by those of its former Portuguese colonizers.