Goa has long been a topic of debate when it comes to women’s safety. However, recent events have once again brought the issue to the forefront as two foreign nationals were attacked and molested in separate incidents. Two others were subjected to a similar crime in Anjuna and Margao in what has cast a shadow on the State’s reputation as a safe and welcoming tourist spot.
In the buzzing beach belt of Pernem, largely frequented by international visitors, two foreign nationals fell victim to heinous crimes. In one incident, resort staffer Abhishek Verma trespassed into a rented tent of a Dutch tourist, molested and stabbed her with a knife. Local youth Eurico Dias who jumped to her rescue as the accused allegedly attempted to rape the guest, was also injured in the attack. Both survivors, fortunately, escaped with injuries and the accused were arrested.
Russian national, Aigul Davletianova lost her tooth while thwarting a theft attempt in her hotel room at Morjim. The men, both hotel staff, are arrested.
While these two ordeals are about foreign tourists, two other women - one of whom is a migrant from the neighboring state - were injured in fierce attacks by separate groups of men at Anjuna, and Margao railway station.
These incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of tourists, especially women irrespective of their natives, in the coastal State.
Women’s Safety Concerns in Goa
As concerns over women’s safety continue to rise, statistics reveal that Goa has a worrying trend of Indian Penal Code (IPC) cases against women.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2021 data indicates that Goa has a rate of 28.4 IPC cases against women, surpassing several other states where women’s safety is often questioned.
Data reveals that Goa recorded 220 incidents against women and 283 victims in 2021. A total of 74 Cases of “assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty” in which 81 women were victims whereas 20 cases of “insulting modesty” was reported which had equal number of victims.
Comparatively, Bihar has a rate of around 21 IPC cases against women, while Nagaland has a relatively lower rate of 2.2. Tamil Nadu, a southernmost state with a significant population, has a rate of 8.7, and Puducherry has a rate of 6.8. This is apart from a few other states and UT where women are safer, at least as per the NCRB records.
Recent incidents
As mentioned, quite a few incidents have been reported in the State. About a year ago, a 12-year-old Russian was sexually assaulted in the swimming pool of a resort at Arambol. The accused, a married man, who worked as a room attendant at the resort and hailed from Karnataka native was arrested.
Another incident of sexual assault from Arambol Beach came to light as a British tourist was raped in front of her partner, on the pretext of a massage, when she was relaxing at the beach. A resident, Joel Vincent D’Souza, 32, was arrested.
Though the accused, in quick action, were arrested, these cases are painting a grim picture of challenges faced by the State.
Authorities on their toes
Goa’s reputation as a safe place for women is at stake as even a trivial incident grabs the attention being a tourist destination, leave aside heinous cases.
A senior tourism official has claimed that safety of women, both foreign and local, are of paramount importance in any tourist destination, and so it is for Goa.
“It is imperative for the concerned authorities, administration and law enforcement agencies to work together to create a safe environment for all tourists, irrespective of their gender. We are working in this direction and as seen, immediate action follows in any case that comes to the fore either via formal complaint or social media or through any other platform,” he said.
In response to these incidents, authorities in Goa have shown swift action and increased police patrolling. The government has been repeatedly urging tourists to be vigilant and take necessary precautions while booking their accommodation and travel, such as avoiding isolated areas, booking accommodation with registered facilities, using authorized transportation, and reporting any suspicious activities to the police, etc. So also, the stakeholders are asked to ensure registering their non-Goan workers with the Labour Department. Several non registered tourist accommodations have also begun facing action, in a strict measure by the tourism department.
