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01/03/2005:

"Criminals Prey on Tsunami Victims Across the World"

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 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.
Full Article: nytimes.com/reuters