Every year, young tourists who’ve headed south report being raped at their holiday resorts. Now the insurance industry has issued a warning.
There’s brilliant sun, and a cool breeze, but also cheap alcoholic spirits and ‘away from home’ partying. The young person’s tour with good friends is a ‘roughing it’ and party holiday.
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‘The young people must take responsibility for themselves, and take care of each other wherever they go,’ said Heidi Tofterå Slettemoen, communications manager at Frende Insurance (Frende Forsikring).
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Much alcohol is consumed by ever younger travellers, so the holiday doesn’t only mean beach life, but also includes nightlife, and a free flow of alcohol.
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‘It’s going to be difficult to understand the boundaries of what is voluntary and involuntary. Unfortunately, some people exploit youngsters drinking until they’re drunk, and it may end with rape’, said Slettemoen.
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The insurance industry doesn’t want to scare people, but the reality is that they receive reports of a thousand rapes of Norwegian girls, and a percentage of boys, at their resorts every year. The industry assumes that there are large number of unreported rapes also, because many people don’t talk about such abuse, or subsequent legal cases, to the insurance companies.
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The National Knowledge Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress (NKVTS) has previously reported that 9.4% of Norwegian women, and 1.1% of Norwegian men say they’ve been subjected to rape at least once in their life. Only 11% reported the case to the police, and 29% had never told anyone about the rape.
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Party resorts
Most of the reports come from traditional party places, where many young people gather and drink a lot, said Slettemoen. Turkey, Bulgaria and party resorts such as Magaluf, and Agia Napa, have shown the peak rape statistics.
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‘If your holiday has such a dramatic outcome, travel insurance can help you bring your parents, or with the cost of transport home , as well as on-site psychological assistance, and after-care when you’ve returned home,’ said the Frende Communications Manager.
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‘In a rape case, Frende doesn’t require that you contact the police. The event is usually well documented in medical or hospital records.
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‘All medical, and treatment costs are also covered,’ emphasised Slettemoen.
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However, the travel insurance has exceptions for the use of drugs, or other dangerous substances.
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‘If you are in a hospital with acute alcoholic poisoning and have to be pumped, you usually have to pay the expenses yourself’ warned Slettemoen. She doesn’t think that most youngsters spend their summers drunk, but the insurance company discourages young travellers going to the hottest party venues alone.
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‘Take responsibility. We hope guardians talk to the youngsters before they go, and that those travelling together make clear agreements with each other. Be streetwise, read the conditions of the destination, and talk about what others have experienced, and what to avoid’, said Slettemoen.
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‘Our clear advice is that you don’t go out alone at night, go out in groups of at least two or three together, and make sure to keep a good watch on your glass so that nobody can slip anything into it.’
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It is also preferable to drink from a bottle that you have seen opened, and that you have been in control of since it was opened.
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© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
