Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
send to criminals? Basically, it says they can kill somebody for “free” if they
do it while robbing the person with a weapon. In fact, since they get the
same penalty anyway, they might as well kill the victim to avoid leaving a
live witness behind who can put them in jail forever. Thankfully, this is no
longer the situation in New York. A death penalty statute, albeit a restric-
tive one, is on the topics in New York today.
This same reality exists in foreign countries. During a Security Over-
seas Seminar, an excellent speaker from the State Department gave an
informative presentation on sex crimes abroad. The instructor made a sim-
ilar point regarding the crime of rape in the Philippines. In the Philip-
pines, rapists are subject to the death penalty if caught and convicted.
Following the same thought process as the armed robber who kills his vic-
tim to avoid leaving a witness, the Filipino rapist also often kills his victim.
The speaker made this point not to criticize the Filipino justice system but
in the context of a discussion about the appropriate response if a rapist is
attacking you. There is always disagreement about whether a rape victim
is more likely to survive an attack by passively complying or resisting strongly.
But if you were attacked in the Philippines, and you knew that rapists there
often murder their victims, wouldn't that information affect your decision
as to whether to fight or comply?
USE COMMON SENSE
Generally the same rules apply while attempting to avoid becoming a
victim overseas as within the United States. You know which neighbor-
hoods and areas to avoid in your home city. Your task is to learn which
areas in your country of residence also should be avoided. In the chapter
detailing general recommendations, we stressed that maintaining a low
profile was a security necessity. It is worth stating again. Don't be overly
flashy and loud. Avoid wearing expensive clothing or jewelry when you are
out enjoying the local nightlife. A handmade suit or gown, Rolex Presi-
dential watch, and diamond necklace may be perfectly appropriate to wear
if you are invited to an embassy dinner party hosted by the ambassador.
However, while you are out for dinner in town, the overt appearance of
wealth draws attention to you and makes you an attractive target for street
criminals looking to make a fast few dollars. This is especially true if you
are living in a country where a factory worker earns as little as $100 a
month. An expensive watch may very well represent several years of sav-
ings to a local. It is just foolish to flaunt your wealth in that manner.
