Dutch tourist assaulted in Sri Lanka

A Dutch tourist was assaulted at a bar in Mirissa in Sri Lanka early on Sunday morning after he tried to stop employees at the bar sexually harassing two female tourists, British newspaper Daily Mirror reports.

According to the newspaper, a group of tourists, including the Dutch man and two British women, had dinner and drinks at a beach bar in the town of Mirissa on Sunday night. Waiters at the bar repeatedly sexually harassed the two women during the night. "The tried to dance near us and groped us from time to time during the night", one of the women said to the newspaper.

"The night started fun until more and more local guys began to inappropriately touch the girls in our group and also other tourist girls at the bar", the 19-year-old Dutch man said to the newspaper. "We complained to the guys working at the bar, but they laughed at us and continued to laugh every time a local guy harassed a girl."

The group of tourists eventually decided to leave when one man tried to rub his penis on one of the women's shoulder, according to the newspaper. "When I saw this I told the guy that this was unacceptable. And the girl, in shock, stood up and got really angry with him." the Dutch man said. The tourists decided to leave, but a group of locals followed them.

"One guy we were with got punched to the ground and was repeatedly kicked and punched by five or six guys at the same time", the Dutch man said to Daily Mirror. "One local started running towards me but before I knew I was on the ground getting punched and kicked by eight guys at the same time. I was screaming and shouting but they did not care and kept going for at least ten minutes. My forehead was busted open as well as my right ear and my right arm."

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that the number of assaults in Sri Lanka is rising, RTL Nieuws reports. "Be especially careful in places where many tourists come, such as beaches. This especially applies to women traveling alone", the Ministry's travel advice for Sri Lanka states.