French swimming official gang raped in South Africa

Dec 8, 2006, 15:18 GMT

Durban - A French woman official from a swimming team participating at the International Paralympic Committee's Swimming World Championships in South Africa was gang raped at a beach in the city of Durban this week, reports said Friday.

The unidentified woman had been walking along the Durban beachfront with a male companion, also an official from European swimming team, on Tuesday night when the two were attacked by several men, the Durban-based Daily News newspaper said in a front page report.

Four suspects were arrested in connection with the incident, the newspaper said while quoting concerned local officials government officials and members of the hospitality industry who have been keen to portray the city as a safe tourist destination.

The incident came a day after authorities in Durban announced that security on the city's popular beaches would be beefed up this festive season during which around 2.3 million domestic and 100,000 foreign tourists were expected to travel there.

It also comes a year after three teenagers were raped at the scene, months after four foreign sociologists attending a conference in the city were mugged and weeks after 11 tourists from a German cruise liner were robbed at Durban's North Beach.

The city of Durban is preparing to host a number football matches during the Football WorldCup in 2010 and, like most major South African cities, is under pressure to reduce high crime amid strong international criticism.

More than 54,000 rapes are reported in South Africa annually.