Bollywood stars have expressed their anger over the way a Spanish travel influencer was gang-raped by a group of men in India.
The attack on Fernanda, 28, who was on a global motorcycle trip with her husband Vincente, 63, took place last week in the Dumka district in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, where the couple were camping overnight on their way to Nepal.
Police have since arrested eight men in connection with the attack, and five of them, handcuffed and tied together by a rope, paraded in front of the sitting police officers on national television.
Three others were arrested earlier and appeared in court with bags over their heads.
The world was shocked to hear what happened to Fernanda and her husband, who documented their journey around the world and shared their story with their more than 320,000 followers.
But Bollywood stars have come out and condemned the mixed reaction to the attacks in India itself.
Fernanda, 28, (pictured, right) was on a global motorcycle trip with her husband Vincente, 63, (pictured, left) when she was attacked last week in the Dumka district of the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand
Police paraded five of the attackers, handcuffed and tied together by a rope, in front of the sitting police officers on national television
The influencer and her husband share videos of their travels with their more than 320,000 followers
Actress and singer Chinmayi Sripaada (pictured) said of the attack: ‘If all Indians can feel proud when ‘few’ Indians win an Olympic medal, all Indians can also feel ashamed when ‘few’ men rape’
Actress Richa Chadha said, “Indians treat foreigners like they treat their own women. Shame on our rotten society
Actress Richa Chadha, who has starred in major Bollywood films including Lahore Confidential, said, “Indians treat foreigners the way they treat their own women. Shame on our rotten society.’
Other stars, including actress and singer Chinmayi Sripada, joined her.
Sripaada addressed
Male celebrities also took to social media to condemn the horrific attack. Dulquer Salmaan, an actor known for his critical and commercial successes including Bangalore Days, said in an Instagram Story: “This should not happen to anyone anywhere.”
Police have promised that the arrested men will receive a “severe punishment” if found guilty.
Officer Pitamber Singh Kherwar, who is leading the case, said: “We are making a strong case against them.”
Despite the horrific injuries she suffered, Fernanda said she would not stop until her attackers are brought to justice
The couple now plan to return to Spain, where they live, before resuming their trip at a later date
In a video filmed at a hospital in India, Vicente, who was severely beaten during the attack, revealed the injuries suffered to their followers, saying his “mouth was destroyed” after the attackers used a helmet and a rock to hit him. .
Fernanda, who has dual Spanish and Brazilian nationality, said in a video on her Instagram page: ‘My face looks like this, but that’s not what hurts me the most. I thought we were going to die. Thank God we’re still alive.’
Fernanda, who was seen with visible bruises on her face, said: “They beat and robbed us but their main aim was to rape me.”
Vicente said he was also “brutally beaten”, adding: “They put a knife around my neck and told me they were going to kill me.”
She added that they had approached police for help, but later said she had to remove the video from her page so as not to “disrupt” the police investigation.
‘The police told me to switch off the mail so as not to disrupt the investigation. I’ll post it later,” she said in an Instagram story post.
Three men arrested for the alleged gang rape of a Spanish tourist are produced by police before the Dumka District Court in Dumka, Jharkhand, India, on Monday, March 4
Fernanda and Vicente (pictured) have documented their journey around the world on a motorcycle online
Three men accused of gang rape Fernanda appeared in court in India on Monday. Police in India are also currently hunting four other suspects in connection with the violent attack
The Spanish influencer has since thanked the police for their “efficient action” and added: “I ask for justice… (for) all the women who also have to go through this.”
Fernanda told a Spanish broadcaster that the attack lasted two hours and that each of the men took turns working.
“They raped me, taking turns while some watched, and they stayed like that for about two hours,” she said on Sunday.
Despite the horrific injuries she suffered, Fernanda said she would not stop fighting until her attackers were fully brought to justice.
She wrote in an Instagram Story on her personal account: “I will teach everyone what it takes to see justice done. No one knows what I’m going through, so I know how to act.
“And no, I am NOT ashamed, because it wasn’t my fault, and without these monsters. Of course I’m not like you.
‘That’s why I do what I do, because I’m strong and I’ll stay strong no matter what anyone says.
Authorities today presented a check for £9,500 to Vincente (centre) as compensation under a ‘victim compensation scheme’, broadcaster NDTV reported
Fernanda said she thought she and her partner ‘were going to die’
“And I’ve had a second chance to live, and I’m going to take it and live my life HAPPILY. It has marked me, yes, but I will not let that consume me.”
According to The Telegraph, Anjaneyulu Dodde, Deputy Commissioner of Dumku, said regarding their compensation, “We have given him compensation of one million rupees. We are conducting a thorough investigation and will seek to ensure a speedy trial and conviction.”
The couple, known on Instagram as @vueltaalmundoenmoto, have been on a mission to travel the world for the past five years. Their bio states that together they have traveled 170,000 km and visited 66 countries.
They now plan to return to Spain, where they live, before resuming their journey at a later date.
The Brazilian Embassy released a statement saying: ‘The Brazilian Embassy in New Delhi confirms that a Brazilian citizen – with dual Spanish nationality – and her Spanish husband, both on a motorcycle trip through Asia, were victims of a serious criminal attack in the Dumka district of Jharkhand state, in northeastern India, this weekend.
“At the same time, given the information about dual nationality, the Brazilian Embassy coordinated with the Spanish Embassy, which said that local authorities had contacted it because both had entered India with Spanish passports.
“The Spanish embassy said it had offered all available assistance, including psychological care, but the victims had rejected the offer because they were already being cared for by Indian emergency services.
“In its firm rejection of the barbaric crime committed against the couple, the Brazilian Embassy in New Delhi reiterates that it will remain available to provide all appropriate assistance and to monitor all developments in the case, in close coordination with the Spanish and Indian authorities. authorities.
