Five U.S. College Students Raped By Guatemalan Bandits

Five U.S. college students on an educational tour of Guatemala were raped after their bus was ambushed by gunmen on a winding road in a hilly region known for banditry, police said Sunday.

Three staff members and 13 students from St. Mary’s College were on a tour bus returning to Guatemala City Friday afternoon. A pickup truck stopped the bus and four men with semiautomatic weapons forced everyone into a nearby field, college spokesman Torre Meringolo said.

“The bus was held down by four armed bandits who proceeded to rob each of the individuals,” he said. “Then they sexually assaulted five of the women, all students.”

The gunmen held the group for 1-1/2 hours, the college said in a statement. Police said the attack occurred near Santa Lucia Cotzulmalguapa, on a hilly road about 40 miles from the Guatemalan capital.

The region, where guerrilla activities were once common, has a reputation for lawlessness and banditry.

The students who were raped were treated in a Guatemala City hospital and returned to the United States Saturday night.