Australian high school student alleges sexual assault on a train in India
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly groped by an unidentified man during an overnight train journey from Haridwar to Udaipur.
The teenager was travelling with 13 of her classmates, three teachers and an expedition leader, as part of the World Challenge program, when the incident occurred.
The student was travelling on a train from Haridwar to Udaipur when she was allegedly groped on the backside by a male passenger on her way to the toilet.
She was reportedly accompanied by a friend at the time since she did not feel safe to walk alone on a crowded train.
Once the student had recovered from her shock, she informed her teachers about the incident and also pointed out the assailant to them.
The World Challenge expedition leader who accompanied the group confronted the man but he managed to escape.
World Challenge is a "travel initiate" that has been sending students on expeditions to various parts of the world for the last 30 years, according to its website.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, World Challenge general manager, Mark Walters said the Indian police was informed of the incident, "but they failed to apprehend the alleged suspect."
He also blamed a “booking error” that was made by the travel agency in India for the alleged incident.
“The on-ground agency made a ticketing bungle. They ended up booking the students in three different carriages, which led to the unfortunate incident.
“We have sent hundreds of students to India in the past and they have all returned with positive experiences except for this one. We’re currently reviewing our contract with the India-based agency to ensure this never happens again,” said Mr Walters.
The principal of the school, who claimed they were informed about the assault in mid-December, said the incident could have been avoided if the group was allocated tickets in the same carriage.
“The group was informed about the ticketing error on the day they were supposed to board the train. They were then told that the mix-up would be sorted upon boarding but that did not happen.
“We still have to meet the World Challenge managers and when we do, they need to convince us that these trips are going to be absolutely safe for anyone involved in the future,” the school principal told SBS Punjabi.
He informed that individual, as well as group counselling and support, has been made available for all students and staffers involved. Copied sbs punjabi
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