A travel influencer, who was motorcycling around the globe with her husband, was brutally gang-raped by seven men during an overnight stop. Three suspects have been brought before an Indian court, charged with raping Fernanda, 28, and assaulting Vicente, 63, following the horrific incident in 2024.
The assailants reportedly used a helmet and a stone to batter Vicente, leaving his “mouth destroyed”. The couple, boasting over 300,000 Instagram followers, were chronicling their worldwide motorcycle journey and was en route to Nepal from India on separate bikes. They halted for the night in Dumka district, located in India’s Jharkhand, where they pitched camp before being discovered by a gang of men who sexually assaulted Fernanda.
In a video recorded outside an Indian hospital, 63-year-old Vicente disclosed the injuries they sustained, with Fernanda exhibiting clear facial bruising. She alleges they were also burgled, but that “their only intention was to rape her”.
The influencers uploaded a video recounting their terrifying ordeal after setting up camp for the night during their trip to the Nepal border.
“Something has happened to us that we would not wish on anyone. Seven men have raped me, they have beaten us and robbed us, although not many things, because what they wanted was to rape me,” read the caption on one video, which displayed Fernanda’s bruised face.
“My face looks like this, but it’s not what hurts me the most,” she shared in one post, “Thank God we are alive”.
“They beat us,” Vicente continued. “They put a knife to my neck, and told me they were going to kill me. Fernanda was raped. Seven of them. Seven men.”
The accused were subsequently charged by the authorities for taking turns to rape Fernanda.
“We have formed a team to hunt the remaining suspects,” declared Pitamber Singh Kherwar, a high-ranking local police officer. “We have to ensure strict punishment.”
The bloggers were taken into protective custody. “We have given him a compensation of one million rupees (approximately £8,400). We are conducting a thorough investigation and will try to ensure a speedy trial and conviction,” stated Anjaneyulu Dodde, deputy commissioner of Dumku.
The couple returned to Spain and expressed their intention to continue their journey at a later date. “We will leave the bikes in Nepal. We want to rest and be with our family. Then, when Fernanda is fully recovered, we will continue our tour of Asia. We want to finish in New Zealand.”