“They beat us,” Vicente said. “They put a knife to my neck, and told me they were going to kill me. Fernanda was raped. Seven of them. Seven men. Sons of bitches.”
On Sunday, the three accused were seen being escorted into court with sacks on their heads by police officers holding ropes tied around their waists.
“We have formed a team to hunt the remaining suspects,” said Pitamber Singh Kherwar, a senior local police officer. “We have to ensure strict punishment.”
The men are thought to be aged between 20 and 30 years old. They are accused of having raped Fernanda in shifts.
The bloggers, who are in secure accommodation provided by the authorities, now plan to return to Spain before resuming their trip at a later date.
The couple were in court on Monday and were given about £9,500 as compensation by the authorities in India.
“We have given him a compensation of one million rupees. We are conducting a thorough investigation and will try to ensure a speedy trial and conviction,” said Anjaneyulu Dodde, deputy commissioner of Dumku, after delivering the cheque.
Tourist economy
The court said the crime against a foreign woman could harm the tourism economy. It was “likely to bring adverse publicity against the country and thereby tarnishing the image of India across the globe,” it said.
Vicente said the authorities expected the men to be given life sentences and that they had confessed to the crime.
He said: “We were already inside the tent when three men arrived on two motorcycles and started shouting at us and throwing stones. When I looked out, I saw that one of them was carrying a dagger up his sleeve.”
“We were very afraid and Fernanda took one of the tent pegs to defend herself in case we were attacked. But as soon as we got out, we saw that four more men had arrived.
