Shocking incident where Swiss national fell prey to a rapist in Nuwara Eliya

As Sri Lanka topped lists as a potential tourist destination due to its post-war development strategy, tourist arrivals have shown a steady growth over the years. While the outskirts of Colombo are yet to be developed in terms of safety and other aspects, tourists are interested in exploring the greener pastures of the country. Therefore, in addition to Colombo, outstation destinations such as Ella and Nuwara Eliya are frequented by tourists. But whether these locations are safe for tourists have always remained a question with various incidents being reported. Just last week a Swiss national was raped in Nuwara Eliya and investigations are underway to identify and arrest the culprit. Hence the Daily Mirror sheds light on the impact of such incidents on the tourism industry – the third largest foreign exchange earner of the country.

The incident   

An 18-year old Swiss woman who toured the Single-Tree Hill in Nuwara Eliya was raped earlier last week. According to her complaint, she was dragged into a nearby jungle and then raped. Investigations have revealed that an individual had waylaid and raped the victim. The Swiss national staying at her stepfather’s house in Nuwara Eliya had visited Galle, Sigiriya, Ella, Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) and Kandy and was expected to leave the country afterwards.   

By next morning, Police officers from all Police stations were deployed to arrest the suspect based on the details given by the victim. 25 individuals were taken in for questioning and investigations are currently underway. The parents of the tourist too were summoned to help in the investigations.   

According to the Police Media Unit, a drawing has been done according to the description of the rapist given by the victim. It will be released to the media by this week.   

When contacted by the , Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs palmed the blame on the female tourist instead of taking responsibility as the ministry that should ensure the safety and security of tourists. The Tourist Police Division too has vested the blame on the victim with regard to her delay in lodging a complaint.  

‘Most incidents happen due to negligence of tourists’

-Amaratunga

In the wake of this incident Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that tourists shouldn’t be travelling alone. But in most instances tourists do travel alone. Whether travelling alone or whether it was the duty of the state to ensure the safety of tourists, remains a question. In his comments to the Daily Mirror, the Minister once again reiterated the fact that the tourist was on her own. “She had tried to climb Single Tree Hill in the evening all by herself. 

The Police have been alerted to take necessary action. The surroundings need to be safeguarded and we are already working on it

The Police have been alerted to take necessary action. The surroundings need to be safeguarded and we are already working on it. When incidents such as these take place in isolated places the Police may not know unless they are reported. It also happens with the negligence of tourists because they too need to double check or ask a local guide before travelling on their own at night,”the minister said.

‘Tourists shouldn’t act like babies’ 

-OIC Vidanagama

The Sri Lanka Tourist Police Division (TPD) was established in 2007 to ensure a secure and safe environment for tourists. Through this Division, teams are being deployed in Colombo and other areas frequented by tourists to identify any activities which would harass tourists. The  also spoke to the TPD Officer in Charge (OIC) Prabath Vidanagama to find out what actions had been taken by the Division to fulfill its objectives in the future. “A limited number of similar incidents have been reported during the past few years. One was in Kandy back in 2005, another in Tangalle and so on.

We will be expanding Tourist Police Units by another 20 in future in order to make it more convenient for tourists to report any incident they come across. But in situations such as these the immediate step they need to take is to report the incident to the Police. If a similar incident happens in their countries how would they react? The same goes when they are in another country. They shouldn’t act like babies. They come to my office a day before they leave and try to solve a case. 

We will be expanding Tourist Police Units by another 20 in future in order to make it more convenient for tourists to report any incident

How can we do that?”queried OIC Vidanagama.

Speaking further he said that no country has robots and they deal with humans. “The same precautions they would take in their countries should be taken elsewhere as well. In this particular incident we got down her parents and provided them with accommodation. Patrolling has begun and we are in the process of identifying the suspect. In future we hope to see a reduction of these incidents and the TPD is on call 24X7 in case of any emergency,” he added.

‘People should be taught how to avoid these situations’

-Dr.Udagama  

In an incident such as this, it is important that the relevant authorities are informed first. Airing her views regarding this incident, Human Rights Commission Chairperson Dr.Deepika Udagama said that for any person who faces such an incident, the first step to take is to go to the nearest Police station. “Rape is such a traumatizing experience.

How many women hesitate to go to the Police because of the socio-cultural factor? There’s a Women’s and Children Desk and there’s also a Medical Desk at the Police where you can go and report what happened. Sri Lanka is a free country and people cannot be blamed. While it is true that people need to take precautions when travelling, you are also entitled to your own freedom. Public education is a must and it has to be done immediately.

Rape is such a traumatizing experience. How many women hesitate to go to the Police because of the socio-cultural factor?

People should be taught how to avoid such situations. Women are not highlighted in this issue. It’s not a question of wearing revealing clothes anymore because we also see elderly women being raped. In moving forward, stringent actions need to be taken in safeguarding citizens as well as tourists who visit the island. Unsafe locations should be patrolled, lighting systems should be installed and made more user-friendly.” said Dr. Udagama. 

Speaking further Dr.Udagama said that a proper service needs to be put into action. “This should include counseling services and the involvement of community and civil society organisations. As at now, the law needs to be protected and psychosocial support has to be extended immediately,” added Dr. Udagama. 

‘Ensuring one’s safety is everyone’s responsibility’ 

-Swiss Embassy

The  also contacted the Swiss Embassy of Sri Lanka to inquire into the matter. In her comments Deputy Head of Mission / Head of Chancery at the Embassy Stéphanie Périllard said that travel advisories have been issued and are updated when necessary. The interview with Périllard is as follows :   

Q  Has the Embassy issued a travel advisory for Swiss tourists?   
A : The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Swiss Embassies abroad issues travel advisories for all countries in the world. They are available online 24X7 and are updated when necessary according to the current situation.   

Q How will the Embassy ensure the safety of tourists?   
A : The Embassy recommends its citizen to consult travel advisors who can provide information on security/safety in the country. Ensuring one’s safety is everyone’s personal responsibility. The Embassy will provide consular protection in case of problems.   

Q  What actions are being taken from the side of the Embassy in incidents such as these?   
A : The Swiss Embassy in Colombo provides consular protection. For reasons of data and personal protection, no further information can be given.   

Q A message to Swiss tourists travelling to the country   
A : Before travelling, Swiss tourists should inquire about the country’s situation and follow the travel advice published by The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.   

‘We will strengthen the TPD to prevent such incidents in future’

-Ratnayake 

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, SLTDA  Chairman Kavan Ratnayake said that the SLTDA takes such matters very seriously. “The incident involving the 18-year-old Swiss tourist is an isolated incident. But we, as the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, take it very seriously. We are working hand-in-hand with the local Police authorities to bring the culprits to book and constantly monitoring the progress of the ongoing investigations.

“Also, we are in the process of strengthening the Tourist Police Division and have already given them infrastructure and guidance to prevent such incidents,” said Ratnayake adding, “We have identified 18 main tourist destinations across the country and the TPD has been instructed to adopt measures to ensure safety of tourists visiting these areas. This doesn’t mean that other areas will be neglected, but priority will be given to main tourist destinations during the initial stage.

The moment this incident was reported, we got in touch with the victim and her family. Her parents immediately visited Sri Lanka and we extended our fullest support to the family

These are long-term solutions that will prevent crimes against tourists visiting Sri Lanka and I believe all industry stakeholders will extend their fullest cooperation to us when implementing these measures. It goes without saying that strong punitive action should be taken against those who commit crimes against tourists and we constantly work with the law enforcement mechanism of the country to ensure that justice is meted out without delay.”   

Stressing on the incident, Ratnayake said that another area of focus is its emergency response mechanism. “The moment this incident was reported, we got in touch with the victim and her family. Her parents immediately visited Sri Lanka and we extended our fullest support to the family in every possible way. We will also facilitate their visits to Sri Lanka throughout the trial stage. 

The Tourist Police Division has already taken action to make the tourists aware of ensuring their personal security during their stay in Sri Lanka. 

We will use every opportunity to caution them about potential threats to their personal safety and prevent them from making mistakes that will jeopardize it. A complicated problem of this nature should be battled on all fronts. It is unwise to leave everything to the Tourist Police and wash our hands off. That is why we have decided to pursue the ‘community approach’ as well.”   

If you encounter any inconvenience during your visit to Sri Lanka, please contact the TPD on 0112 421 451.