Britain and France have issued travel advisories cautioning women about travelling to India following the rise in sexual attack cases. A 51-year-old Danish woman was gang-raped in the capital city of New Delhi earlier this week.
"Women travellers should exercise caution when travelling in India even if they are travelling in a group," the British advisory posted on the government website said, reported Agence France-Presse.
The British advisory said that "serious sexual attacks" involving women from Poland, Germany and Denmark have been reported in the country so far this year. "Women should use caution when travelling in India. Reported cases of sexual assault against women and young girls are increasing; recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas and cities show that foreign women are also at risk," the advisory stated.
In their advisory posted, Thursday, the French foreign office also suggested its citizens should take "utmost caution." "Several recent incidents show that foreign women or expatriates can be the victims of such incidents in India," it said.
The Globe and Mail reported that an advisory issued by Canada also mentioned the sexual assaults against women.
India's reputation has been marred by recent cases of sexual attacks on women
The Danish tourist in New Delhi was assaulted late Tuesday by more than six men at knifepoint. Indian police said Friday that they had arrested three men involved in the case. One of them is a juvenile. Police said they were trying to locate the other five suspects.
Prior to this incident, a German teen working in Karnataka, a southern state in India, said she was molested by a co-passenger in a train. The man was later arrested by the railway police.
