Sri Lankan Man Asks Traveller For Sex, Masturbates In Front Of Her; Arrested After Video Goes Viral

Screengrab of viral video

A New Zealand solo traveller, travelling across Sri Lanka in an e-rickshaw, has shared a disturbing incident of harassment and indecent exposure by a local man. The woman posted a video from her Instagram handle and narrated the ordeal.

She said her day had started happily, with a “sunrise swim,” but everything changed soon after. “There was a man driving a scooter in front of me, and he would continuously slow down, and I would have to pass him, and then he would speed up and pass me again,” she said. At first, she smiled politely, but she soon ignored him because “his behaviour became uncomfortable.”

She thought he had gone when he turned off the road, but he returned when she stopped for a drink. “I pulled over to have a small rest and a drink, and he appeared again,” she said. “He got off his scooter and came to talk to me. There was a bit of a language barrier, but he seemed friendly, so I let him talk to me, but then it quickly turned uncomfortable. He asked where I was staying, and I knew where it was going.”

In the video, the man is seen asking her for sex. Moments later, he exposes himself and starts masturbating. Shocked and scared, she quickly drove away. “I was left on edge for the rest of my trip,” she said. “I could not believe he asked me that question, and after I said no, he still had the audacity to expose himself to me like that.”

The traveller said the incident shook her confidence, even though she is determined to finish her trip. “I am not going to let it ruin my trip, but it has knocked my confidence back a little bit,” she said. “The price you pay for being a solo female. It shouldn’t be, but unfortunately, it’s reality.”

She added that the experience reminded her to be firm and speak up. “I guess this is just another reminder to set aside people pleasing and speak up loudly when things like this happen.”

In her Instagram caption, she made it clear that the incident should not define Sri Lanka. “I want to be clear: this does not define Sri Lanka,” she wrote. “The local people I met were some of the kindest and most generous I’ve ever encountered. This was one man, one moment – not a reflection of an entire country.”

She ended with a message about solo travel. “Solo travelling is incredible – but it’s not always sunshine and smiles. Some days test your strength and remind you to stay alert.”

Her video went viral on social media platforms, raising concerns over the safety of women.

Meanwhile, the police arrested the 23-year-old accused on Monday.