German tourist raped in south India; police search for 2 men

NEW DELHI – Indian police searched Monday for two men suspected of raping a German tourist in the beach town of Mamallapuram in southern India, the latest case of sexual violence to shock the country.

The German woman told police that she went for a walk and dozed off in a deserted part of the beach when she was raped Sunday.

The woman was part of a group of German tourists visiting the town, which is famous for its many Hindu temples.

Teams of police were searching nearby areas in Tamil Nadu state. Police said no arrests had been made.

The incident highlights persistent violence against women in India despite tougher laws against sexual assault imposed after the 2012 death of a young woman who was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi.

In response to the attack and the widespread public protests it provoked, the government rushed through legislation doubling prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalizing voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women.