Karl Rock's Blog

Kerala Police have finally caught the two men who drugged, raped and beheaded a tourist – Liga Skromane from Latvia.

Liga had been missing since February when she went to visit a beach in Kovalam. She had come to India in search of ancient Indian Ayurvedic (natural Indian healing) treatment for depression.

The suspects are drug sellers, and one has previously abused both men and women in the same remote area in the post.

What went wrong?

Simply put, Liga trusted the wrong people. In tourist areas in India, it’s hard to know who you can trust. Most of the time, if someone is approaching you and starting a conversation, there’s something they want from you. It might just be a selfie or to sell you something, but it could be something else too.

As a man in India the risk is less, but as a lone woman being approached and going anywhere with local men is risky. They might come up to you and start with innocent questions like, “Where are you from?” Then once they’ve built a quick friendship with you, they’ll say, “Let me show you somewhere special that tourists never go.” Who wants to miss out on seeing a local sight off the beaten track?

Another thought I had which is pure hypothetical is that she may have been buying drugs. In places like Goa and Kerala, I was offered drugs from men on the street as I walked down the road or near a beach. I don’t do drugs or drink, so I never experienced what that process is like. But I imagine they’d have their lines to lure you to a quiet place to take drugs. Just like back home, you can’t trust drug dealers (but that should go without saying right?)

A final problem in India is that foreign women are seen as “easy” and thought to be more open to having sex than Indian women. So if you come across a man who has this mentality, he’ll take advantage of you all the while thinking to himself, “She asked for it, she’s out here talking to men!”

How to stay safe with strangers

Before trusting and going anywhere with people in India, there are a few things you can do to help protect yourself:

1. As a lone female, never go places with strangers. But if you are going to then follow the next to steps.
2. Verify their identity. Before going somewhere, add them as a friend on Facebook or take their phone number and call their phone so you know it’s the right number. If they don’t give you any personal information, then they don’t want to be identified, and that’s a big red flag.
3. Then send their identity to whoever you’re travelling with and tell them where you’re going with these strangers.
4. Use the share your location feature on your phone with someone, so your movements can be tracked.