Three arrested over rape and assault of two gay men in public park

Police in India have arrested three people in connection with the rape and assault of two gay men in a public park.

The two gay men, referred to only as ‘A’ and ‘C’ to protect their identities, were raped and attacked by five men in a park in New Delhi, NDTV reports.

A and C – who live together alongside a third gay man, referred to as B – came into contact with one of their attackers when A struck up a conversation with him on a gay dating app.

The pair ended up meeting up with the man, known as X, at around 11.30pm on Tuesday (17 October) while walking home from a fair in east Delhi’s’ Shakarpur area.

X was accompanied by two other men when he met A and C. The five men went to a nearby park together.

In the park, two more friends of X turned up, and the five men raped and assaulted A and C, according to local police.

After the attack, A and C went home where they told their flatmate B what had happened. He called the police and reported the incident.

New Delhi police assembled a team of 20 officers who went through CCTV footage from more than 50 cameras in the area to track down A and C’s attackers.

They also questioned local LGBTQ+ people in their hunt for the men.

Three men have now been arrested in connection with the attack. Officers are still searching for two more assailants.

Sexual violence rates remain persistently high in India.

It is the fourth most common crime committed against women in the country, with an average of 86 incidents reported each day in 2021.

Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.

Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.