Criminals Prey On Tsunami Victims Across The World

[britmaveric]

By Patrick Lannin and Stephen Brown

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Thieves, rapists, kidnappers and hoaxers are preying on tsunami survivors and families of victims in Asian refugee camps, hospitals and in the home countries of European tourists hit by the wave.

Reports and warnings came in from as far apart as Britain, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Hong Kong on Monday of criminals taking advantage of the chaos to rape survivors in Sri Lanka or plunder the homes of European tourists reported missing.

In stark contrast to a worldwide outpouring of humanitarian aid in response to the Dec. 26 tsunami, whose death toll stood at nearly 145,000 people by Monday, a women's group in Sri Lanka said rapists were attacking homeless survivors.

"We have received reports of incidents of rape, gang rape, molestation and physical abuse of women and girls in the course of unsupervised rescue operations and while resident in temporary shelters," the Women and Media Collective group said.

Save the Children warned that youngsters orphaned by the tsunami were vulnerable to sexual exploitation. "The experience of earlier catastrophes is that children are especially exposed," said its Swedish chief, Charlotte Petri Gornitzka.

In Thailand thieves disguised as police and rescue workers have looted luggage and hotel safes around Khao Lak beach, where the tsunami killed up to 3,000 people. Sweden sent seven police officers there on Monday to investigate the reported kidnap of a Swedish boy of 12 whose parents were carried off by the wave.

The United Nations (news - web sites) also warned of the danger of pirates hindering its relief efforts off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island, which took the brunt of the tsunami.

SWEDEN HARD HIT

Sweden is the hardest hit country outside the tsunami region with more than 2,500 missing and 52 confirmed dead. But it kept their names secret after some homes were targeted by thieves.

"It is unfortunately a reality that people who are known to be missing ... have had their homes gone through and partly emptied," State Secretary Lars Danielsson told local radio.

Swedish police could not give details of such break-ins but said similar incidents of looting had occurred after the 1994 sinking of the Estonia, which killed 551 Swedes.

"That is the reason that we are now so careful about distributing the names this time," a police spokeswoman said.

In neighboring Norway police were on the alert for attempts by criminals to get their names on the list of victims to obtain a new identity or commit insurance fraud.

Kjersti Oppen of the National Crime Investigation Service said the list of missing Norwegians was being checked for names with criminal records or large debts. Similar fraud occurred after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

In Britain, which has at least 40 people among the victims, a man admitted to sending hoax emails to friends and relatives of people missing saying their loved ones had been confirmed dead. The hoaxer claimed to have information from the "Foreign Office Bureau" in Thailand.

In Hong Kong, where people are chipping in generously to the relief effort, the charity Oxfam warned of a bogus fundraising email that has been circulating in its name, asking people to send donations to a bank account in Cyprus.

[jackr]

Why are there so many <deleted> low lives in the world and why do the good die young? These c***s should all be hung, drawn and quartered!!

[Jockstar]

Why are there so many <deleted> low lives in the world and why do the good die young? These c***s should all be hung, drawn and quartered!!

I agree jackr. Low life vermin scum.

[andyadam]

better still take them out to sea, throw them in see how they like it!!!!!!!!

[Tornado]

They should be shown no mercy... No mercy at all. Extermination is the only word that comes to my mind.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I really do hope the governments take the advice you have given.

[Bkk_Bound]

Tsunami donation email scam

From correspondents in Hong Kong

January 3, 2005

EMAILS falsely asking for donations for victims of last week's killer tsunami are doing the rounds in Hong Kong.

Police and charity workers said today the fraudulent messages claims to be from Oxfam and urges donors to deposit money into a bank account in Cyprus, they said.

It was not known whether anybody had been fooled by them, a police spokeswoman said.

Oxfam is among a number of worldwide relief agencies mobilising tsunami aid.

More than 144,000 people were killed in Indian Ocean coastal areas in 11 countries.

Oxfam Hong Kong spokeswoman Christy Ko said the emails were a sick attempt to extort money from people at a time of tragedy.

However, she did not believe they would harm the agency's campaign to raise funds for relief efforts.

"It was a very badly put together email, I don't think many people would have been fooled," she said.

Hong Kong is being increasingly targeted by on-line fraudsters, particularly those claiming to be from banks and urging customers to hand over personal account details.

Agence France-Presse

[aaaaaa]

I can't understand much Thai language , but my wife practically everyday while watching TV news points on the screen and tells me that such and such number of people was arrested for stealing; and also that authorities try to deploy security to keep such scum from affected areas to pervent such happenstences.

[britmaveric]

Evil/Twisted bunch who are poor excuses for human beings! Death is too easy on these lot.

[britmaveric]

Activists warn of possible rape of tsunami survivors

COLOMBO (AFP) - Women activists urged Sri Lankan authorities to step up protection for tsunami survivors amid unconfirmed reports some had been molested or even gang raped at refugee shelters.

The rights group, Women and Media Collective, urged stepped up protection for women and children who were more vulnerable after they were driven out of their homes by last week's tsunamis that killed more than 30,000 people.

"We have received reports of incidents of rape, rang rape, molestation and physical abuse of women and girls in the course of unsupervised rescue operations and while resident in temporary shelters," it said in a statement.

The group said the incidents were mainly in the southern region, but did not give details of the crimes nor did it say how many such cases had been reported to them.

However, the southern region police chief D.W. Prathapasinghe said there were "rumours" of rape, but they were yet to receive any complaint or any information that could help them to launch an investigation.

"We have not had any complaints, even from other refugees," Prathapasinghe told AFP. "We have deployed police and soldiers at every shelter for the protection of refugees."

"Those who make allegations unfortunately do not give us details that would help an investigation. Our not receiving a complaints does not mean that these terrible things did not take place. We are also very concerned."

More than 30,000 people were killed while 3,792 people are reported missing after last week's tsunami strike that also left nearly a million people homeless.

[kat]

Yes I agree with you all - there are no words for these types. But they exist everywhere.

In the case of Sri Lanka especially, child molestation and sexual abuse is a serious problem even without a disaster. In times of disaster or not, these people are lower than the lowest.

[RDN]

Often looters are shot. Aren't these the same sort of crimes - taking advantage of people suffering from a disaster?

[kat]

Yes I agree with you all - there are no words for these types.   But they exist everywhere.   

In the case of Sri Lanka especially, child molestation and sexual abuse is a serious problem even without a disaster.  In times of disaster or not, these people are lower than the lowest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think your first point was more correct: But they exist 'everywhere'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to tell you this Ravisher, but I've been studying the incidence of sexual abuse and gender violence for awhile now, and one thing is for sure: all is not equal everywhere.