German tourist rape case: Victim leaves Chennai, to be in touch with cops online

Chennai: The German tourist, who became a victim of rape when holidaying in the seaside resort of Mahabalipuram, left Chennai on Tuesday for another undisclosed tourist destination.

The local police intensified their hunt for the culprits in fishermen's hamlets near Pattikulam off ECR. The woman had been raped near the beach in Pattikulam on Sunday.

“She is continuing her travel plans with her friends, but has agreed to come back if necessary. We are still on the lookout for the suspect,” a senior police official from Kancheepuram district said.

Police have been collecting photographs of men aged between 20 and 35 from the fishing hamlets in Pattikulam, Devaneri, Thiruvudanthai, Choolerikadu, Pulikoodai and Vadanenmeli in the hope of zeroing in on the culprit or culprits.

The victim, who is working as a physiotherapist in Germany, has promised to keep in touch with the investigators online. "In the last two days police could not trace suspects who matched the description given by the victim," police sources disclosed.

Police will now on be sending photographs of the youths to her by e-mail and she is expected to reply online if anyone resembles her tormentors. If needed, the victim has promised to be ready for video conferencing as well. German consulate officials will also liaison with the victim as well the TN police.

The victim was taking a nap in a casurina grove near the beach in Pattikulam after a long walk when two men allegedly raped her at around 10 am on Sunday. Police believe the suspects could be from fishing hamlets and have been hunting for them since Sunday evening.

The victim, a part of a group of 5 tourists visiting India, informed her embassy in Delhi initially.  TN Police came to know about the incident after employees of the German mission informed them.