Alappuzha: A cross section of people has demanded stringent steps to deal with the attacks on foreigners following the assault on two British tourists by a few youths on the beach here on Saturday.
New legislation to render speedy justice to foreign tourists is required because the miscreants often get away due to prolonged legal process in such cases.
The victims won’t be able to stay here till the legal process is completed, many said.
According to criminologist James Vadackumchery, a special court to deal with such crimes should be set up so that the police investigation would be completed in one month.
“The long process of criminal investigation and court proceedings often becomes untenable for the tourists who are here for a short while. The verdict should be pronounced before the victims leave the state. Otherwise, they must be provided relief funds by the government to win back their confidence,” he says.
This is not for the first time that foreigners have been badly treated here. In January, three foreign girls, Kristine MacMillan, Candian, Jennifer Crane, American and Sacha Moreland from New Zealand registered a complaint with Alappuzha north police station that a houseboat crew had stolen USD 45 and Rs 8000 from them and made their stay unsafe. But, the accused did not face any legal proceedings as the foreigners had no time to go ahead with the case.
Mr N. Sreekumar, general secretary, All-Kerala Houseboat Owners Association, also suggested new legislation to prevent such attacks. “Our legal process takes a long time to book the culprits and complete the criminal proceedings. A tourist often withdraws the complaints. Once Kerala’s reputation is lost, tourism will suffer badly,” he said.
Mr Laju Daniel, a tour operator, urged the authorities to take strong steps to restore the foreigners’ faith. “Tourists must be advised to travel in groups as far as possible and to avoid secluded spots at odd hours. The government has the responsibility to protect foreign tourists. A special police squad must be formed to investigate such cases and ensure stringent punishment,” he said.
