INDIA: Danish Woman Gang-Raped in Delhi after Asking for Directions

A Danish woman was held at knife point, beaten and gang-raped in the centre of New Delhi's backpacker district after she asked a group of young men for directions back to her hotel.

The attack is the latest in a series of gang rapes in India in recent weeks and emerged as the family of a 16 year old girl who was twice gang-raped and later murdered called for the High Court to order an inquiry into her killing by the country's Central Bureau of Investigation.

Women's rights campaigners said despite the widespread protests provoked by the gangrape and murder of a 23 year old Delhi student just over a year ago, police are still failing to provide protection and implement new tougher laws to curb the assaults.

Vrinda Grover, one of India's leading lawyers and women's rights campaigners said foreign women are particularly vulnerable because they don't have the heightened sense of alert Indian women have developed to protect themselves in the country's ‘misogynist culture.'

She said India's political leaders were also to blame because they have sidelined the issue as they approach this Spring's general election campaign.