Vincente and Fernanda, known for their Instagram account Vuelta Al Munde En Moto, have already crossed more than 60 countries with their moped in five years. But in India everything suddenly went wrong. The two were attacked, robbed and Fernanda was also raped by seven different men. They announced this themselves via social media.
In the first video, posted on March 1, we see both with bruises and swelling on their faces. Both clearly shaken. In a statement to Spanish media, they revealed that they were attacked after visiting the Dumka district, a popular destination for tourists.
The couple was on their way to Nepal via Bhagalpur, but had stopped at Dumka to rest and pitch their tent near Hansdiha market. After they fell asleep, 7 young men entered the tent and assaulted both of them. “They hit us. They put a knife to my throat and said they were going to kill me,” Vincente says in one of the videos, showing a swollen lower lip that appears to be stitched up. “Fernanda was raped. The seven of us. Seven men.”
(Read more below the Instagram post)
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Sleeping with the police
While Vincente has some bruises on his head, the side of Fernanda’s face appears to have taken a much worse beating. She has dark red spots on her cheek and jawline. “We are in the hospital, here in India. We’re with the police. They let us sleep here,” says Fernanda, her eyes red with tears. Vincente then explains that after the rape was reported, they were taken to the Saraiyahat Community Health Center so they could examine Fernanda.
According to EuroNews, the Spanish Embassy in India has contacted local authorities and sent staff to consult in the region and provide support to Vincente and Fernanda. Three of the seven suspects are currently in custody.
Negative experiences
The video was uploaded to X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Anna Slatz, who described the situation to her followers. Since it was posted, the video has been viewed more than 500,000 times and has generated hundreds of shocked and outraged comments.
While many expressed their condolences to the couple, some users started sharing their own travel experiences from India. A negative experience for many.
“The level of sexual aggression I witnessed while living in India for several years was unlike anywhere else I have ever been,” David Josef Volodzko wrote in response to the video. “Once a complete stranger, a British woman, asked to sleep in my bed and pretend to be my girlfriend on a train journey because a man walking past in the hall had licked her foot and she felt unsafe. I introduced a friend to a young Indian man and instead of shaking her hand, he groped her breast.”
A female user named Sasha wrote: “I spent 6 weeks in India (should have been 3 months) almost 15 years ago. I was 21 and traveling alone and it was honestly the worst place on earth I’ve been. Wild animals have more self-control than Indian men. I was sexually harassed all day, every day. I would never go back.”
