In a shocking display of victim-blaming that highlights the cultural dangers American women face abroad, the family of a teenage Indian boy who sexually assaulted a female American tourist is now attacking the victim for allegedly "overreacting" to being groped.
The incident, which occurred when the Indian teenager groped the American woman during her visit to India, has taken an even more disturbing turn as the perpetrator's family goes on the offensive against the victim rather than addressing their son's criminal behavior.
This appalling response from the attacker's family perfectly illustrates why American women need to be extremely cautious when traveling to countries where sexual assault is often minimized or ignored entirely. Instead of teaching their son to respect women and take responsibility for his actions, this family has chosen to attack an innocent American victim.
Cultural Clash Exposes Dangerous Attitudes
The family's reaction reveals the stark cultural differences between American values that protect women and foreign attitudes that often blame victims for speaking out against sexual assault. Their claim that the American woman "overreacted" to being sexually assaulted is not just offensive—it's dangerous thinking that enables future attacks.
This incident serves as a wake-up call for American families sending their daughters abroad. While the Trump administration works to protect Americans at home with strong border security and law enforcement, Americans traveling overseas must understand they're entering environments where our values of respect and protection for women may not be shared.
"No American woman should have to endure this kind of attack followed by victim-blaming from the perpetrator's family," said one women's rights advocate. "This shows exactly why we need stronger protections for Americans abroad."
The State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio should be taking a much harder line on countries that fail to protect American tourists from sexual assault and then allow families to publicly shame the victims.
How many more American women will have to suffer attacks and then face blame from their attackers' families before we demand real consequences for countries that fail to protect our citizens?