The Goa Police were quickly on the defensive when the ongoing diplomatic standoff between India and Canada threw the spotlight on an existing advisory that Canada has issued for its citizens, particularly women, calling them to be “particularly vigilant” in Goa. In response to the advisory, the Goa Police, in an official statement has claimed that “the Canadian advisory is not based on facts” and that “crime statistics also do not support the contention of the advisory.”
The Director General of Police said that the last time a crime was committed against a Canadian citizen was in 2015 and that crimes against women foreigners are rare and that in the current year till September 15, 2023, there has only been one incident where a foreign women tourist belonging to the Netherlands was a victim and the accused was arrested. Similarly, in the year 2022, there were only two cases -- one relating to a Russian national and the other to a British national. In both cases, the accused were immediately arrested.
However, in seeking to defend its record, the Goa Police seems to have missed the point of the advisory. An advisory is issued to tourists as a precautionary measure warning them of the potential pitfalls and dangers they could face while on holiday in a foreign land. Advisories are issued as general guidelines and are given with respect to the overall safety and security situation of the destination and not necessarily based on whether the perpetrators have been arrested.
It is no secret that Goa has earned a bad name after several high-profile crimes against women tourists. But more than that, it is even less of a secret that foreign tourists, particularly women and single women are often harassed, surrounded, stared at and even have their private space rudely intruded into.
To that extent, the Canadian advisory is on point when it warns its nationals that foreign women are often the target of unwanted attention and that “staring, verbal abuse, groping, and other forms of sexual harassment can occur anywhere, including in tourist sites and other areas. Attackers sometimes act as a group. Reports of rape and assault against foreign women have increased.”
That the Goa Police have not received complaints every time such incidents take place should not be taken to mean that the crimes are not taking place. More often than not, tourists are hesitant to officially lodge a complaint in order to avoid the hassle that comes with having to later prosecute the case and follow it up to its conclusion.
If indeed the police are serious about ensuring that Goa is truly a safe place for foreign women tourists, they need to make their presence visible along popular beach stretches and through preventive measures ensure that the privacy of tourists is respected. It is not without reason that many foreign tourists who used to once visit popular beaches are now seeking refuge further north even in neighbouring Maharashtra where they feel safer that they will be left alone.
Rather than being defensive, the Goa Police needs to see the advisory for what it is, and take steps to improve Goa’s global image as a safe and secure tourist destination, lest other countries too start warning that “local authorities may not always respond adequately to reports of sexual violence and harassment.”
