New details have been revealed of the horrific gang rape of an American tourist in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. The young woman and her French boyfriend were subjected to a six-hour torture by three men after flagging down a public transit van late at night.
After the two tourists boarded the mini-bus, the three men, all of them Rio residents in their early 20s, ordered the other passengers to get off and started their ordeal on the couple. The attackers took turns raping the woman and beating the man, whom they handcuffed, Rio police investigator Alexandre Braga said yesterday.
The three thugs also went on a spending spree with the tourist's credit cards, spending around $500 on gas stations and convenience stores.
Six hours later, the tourists were dumped by the side of the highway 30 miles away from Rio.
Three men have been arrested with charges on the crime.
"The victims recognized the three without a shadow of a doubt," officer Braga said.
The men's mug shots were also identified by another woman who said she'd been raped in similar circumstances last month.
Two of them have confessed, while the third denies any responsibility.
The terrifying event has spotlighted safety issues in Brazil, a country bound to be the center of attention for the next few years, due to host the World Soccer Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
The main worry for Brazilian authorities is the World Youth Day, a Roman Catholic pilgrimage that Pope Francis is scheduled to attend and that it is expected would bring two million people.
Observers said the attack came as a particular shock, because safety has improved in the city's tourist-friendly neighborhoods such as Copacabana, where the attack took place.
"No one expects to be attacked in Disneyland," said hotel director Alfredo Lopes. "Copacabana is our Disneyland."
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