U.S. woman is latest gang-rape victim in India

USPA News - An American woman was the latest gang-rape victim in northern India, local media reported Tuesday. The incident occurred at around 1 a.m. local time when the woman decided to hitchhike her way back to Manali, the popular tourist site in the state of Himachal Pradesh, after visiting the Vashisht village on Monday afternoon and failing to find transportation.

According to the Hindustian Times, the 31-year-old woman was able to flag down a truck, but soon after, the driver pulled over at a secluded area where he and two of his friends allegedly raped the woman for around an hour. The men then robbed her camera, cellular phone, tablet, and cash, before dropping her off at Beas bridge at around 3 a.m. The woman walked toward the nearest police station, and authorities later confirmed the sexual assault after conducting medical tests at a civil hospital in Manali. The U.S. Embassay was informed and in contact with the victim, as the media outlet said authorities later detained three youths, although the victim was unable to identify them. The woman`s identity was not immediately disclosed. The number of sexual assaults in India has dramatically increased in recent months, as the number of female tourists has also dropped. One of the most alarming incidents occurred in New Delhi earlier in the year when six men gang-raped a 23-year-old Indian student who would eventually lose her life.