In a worrying development for female travelers in India, days after the US State Department issued a new travel advisory for female travelers’ safety, a French tourist was allegedly raped in Rajasthan’s Udaipur area.
Last week, US State Department urged female travelers to avoid traveling to India alone as rape and assault cases are increasing in India.
“Do not travel alone, if you are a woman,” warned the State Department advisory.
“Rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, government facilities,” the advisory said.
It also added, “The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas. These areas stretch from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. Due to risks, US government employees working in India must obtain special authorization to travel to these states.”
Indians on social media were lashing out at US for exposing the reality of women’s condition in India yet not even a week passed when another foreign female has been allegedly raped.
French tourist raped in India
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the woman had arrived in Udaipur from Delhi on June 22 and was staying at a hotel in the city’s Ambamata area. On Monday night, she attended a party at The Greek Farm Cafe and Restro near Tiger Hill, where she met the accused.
During the interaction, when the accused was refused by the woman, he allegedly raped the French woman.
History of assaults against women in India
Assaults against women in India have become epidemic, with foreign women being more often targeted in recent years.
In March 2025, an Israeli woman and her local friend were gang-raped near a popular Unesco World Heritage site in southern India.
In March 2024, a 28-year-old Spanish-Brazilian tourist was gang-raped by seven men in Dumka, Jharkhand, while camping with her husband.
In 2022, a British tourist was raped in front of her partner in Goa and in 2023, another woman was raped in a hotel in New Delhi.
In 2021, a total of 428,278 cases of crimes against women were registered, including rape, kidnapping, domestic violence, dowry deaths, and acid attacks. This translates to 49 offenses per hour.
It must be highlighted that most rapes and assaults go unreported due to fear of reprisal, victim-blaming, and lack of trust in police.
