Swiss tourist couple assaulted near Agra

A group of local men demanded to click selfies with the female tourist, police said.

Swiss couple

Source: Twitter

Quentin Jeremy Clerc and his partner Marie Droz, both in their twenties, were strolling near a railway track in Fatehpur Sikri, a small town near Agra, India when they were attacked by a group of local men on Sunday.

The Swiss couple were on a tour of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri when on Sunday, a group of young men started following them.

The group first insisted on clicking selfies with the female tourist, police said.

They then started asking them about where they had put up in Agra and other intrusive questions.

Clerc told The Times of India, "They initially passed comments, which we didn't understand, and then forced us to stop so they could take selfies with Marie."

"The boys wouldn't stop walking along despite our protests. All the while they kept taking pictures and trying to get close to Marie.

"From whatever little we could understand, they were asking our names and the place where we had put up in Agra. They were harassing us.

"They asked us to accompany them to some place, which we refused. A little after stones and sticks began to rain on me. When Marie intervened, she, too, wasn't spared."

At first, Droz says she thought the boys "won't hit a woman." She was wrong.

"They hurled stones at both of us. I was hit on the back, shoulder and hand. I still cannot understand why they attacked us. They didn't take any of our valuables."

While Clerc suffered a fractured skull, bruises all over his upper body, Droz has broken her arm and has multiple bruises.

After receiving initial treatment at a local health centre , the couple was shifted to New Delhi to receive further treatment.

Local police officer Satyam Singh told TOI that the foreigners "weren't interested" in filing any police complaint.

However, Police has filed the complaint on its own cognisance, a spokesperson for the Agra SSP was quoted saying by The Hindu.

Meanwhile, India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj sent officers to attend to the couple.

"I have asked for a report from the State Government," Ms. Swaraj tweeted about the incident.

"My officers will reach them in the hospital," Ms. Swaraj said.
Ms Droz has been discharged from the hospital while Mr Clerc remains in hospital for treatment.

Police on Thursday detained five people, including three minors, for allegedly assaulting the couple.

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3 min read

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Updated

By Mosiqi Acharya

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