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Six Men Jailed For Life In Rape Of Swiss Tourist In India

Indian policemen escort suspects in the rape case of a Swiss tourist to court in March. All six accused were sentenced to life on Saturday.
AFP/Getty Images
Indian policemen escort suspects in the rape case of a Swiss tourist to court in March. All six accused were sentenced to life on Saturday.

An Indian court has sentenced six men to life in prison in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist in March.

The 39-year-old woman was raped as she and her husband were camping in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh.

As we reported back in March, police say the attackers tied up the man and raped the woman in his presence. The men then robbed the couple of cash, a laptop and cell phone.

The suspects, aged 22 to 30, were all from village near the camp site. Five of them were detained and confessed soon after the incident and a sixth man was arrested later. Although all received life sentences, the BBC reports that one of the suspects was convicted of assault and robbery but not rape.

"It was a good judgment. It came early," said Rajendra Tiwari, a lawyer for the prosecution.

The incident is one of several high-profile rape cases in recent months that have sparked a public outcry in India.

In December, a 23-year-old Indian woman was gang raped and leftalong a road in New Delhi, sparking nationwide protests. She later died from her injuries.

And in June, three men were arrested near the resort town of Manali in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh for the alleged gang rape of an American tourist.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.