A New Zealand tourist named Molly has shared online a disturbing incident during her Sri Lanka trip. In a viral video she posted, a man was seen exposing himself and propositioning her for sexual favours.
“During my solo tuk-tuk road trip across Sri Lanka, a man asked for sex and exposed himself to me,” Molly wrote on Instagram. She had been driving her tuk-tuk through the Thambiluvil area in eastern Sri Lanka when she noticed a man repeatedly trailing her on a scooter on October 25.
According to Molly, the man continued to overtake her and then slow down, forcing her to pass him multiple times. When she finally stopped for a break, he got off his scooter and approached her.
“There was a bit of a language barrier, but he seemed friendly, so I let him try to talk to me,” she explained in her Instagram video. “But then it quickly turned uncomfortable and he asked where I was staying, and I knew where it was going.”
The man soon asked her for sexual favours. “I was like, ‘okay, no, absolutely not’, and I just got ready to drive away,” she said.
At that moment, he exposed himself. “It was one of those moments that shakes you a bit, even when you think you’re prepared for anything,” Molly said.
Shaken, the solo traveller rushed back into her tuk-tuk and fled. “I wish I had reacted more firmly, but I was just in shock. I could not believe he asked me that question, and after I said no, he still had the audacity to expose himself to me like that,” she said.
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The Tourism Division, along with the Thirukkovil and Pottuvil police, tracked down the man and arrested him. The 25-year-old suspect was taken into custody on Saturday, a report in 1News said.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect had reportedly altered his appearance and changed his residence in an attempt to evade capture.
The video has since gone viral across all social media platforms, triggering outrage. “Girl I’m so sorry this happened to you. Sadly there isn’t enough respect for women. I’m sending you love and hope you are doing well,” a user wrote. “This is absolutely appalling. I’m really sorry this happened to you. The things we go through as solo female travelers I swear,” another user commented.
“You handled that very well! I hope he gets arrested!” a third user reacted.
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