Highlights
- At the age of 22, Carmen Greentree travelled to India
- She went to study at the Dalai Lama’s ashram in Dharamsala, in north India.
- She alleges she was abducted, abused and raped on a houseboat in Kashmir
At the time, Mrs Greentree was an aspiring professional surfer and had dreams of competing at the international level.
But she was devastated after missing out on qualifying for the Women's World Championship Tour.
Depressed, she decided to travel to India to study at the Dalai Lama's ashram in 2004. She was 22.
Little did she know that in her pursuit of happiness, she would end up being abducted and raped, she says.
“I went to a tourist agent in Delhi to catch a bus straight to Dalai Lama. I had booked in for studies at his Ashram,” Mrs Greentree told SBS Hindi from Warilla, a seaside suburb of the City of Shellharbour in NSW.
“But at the tourist agency, I was being pressured and manipulated and coerced to cave in to go a different way, off-track. I caved in and agreed to take a plane to Srinagar and then a bus to Dharamsala.
“I was told it was easier, cheaper, faster and safer. That is how I ended up in Kashmir and never left Kashmir,” she says.
She claims she was repeatedly abused and raped while being held captive on a houseboat there.
Carmen Greentea headed to India to study with the Dalai Lama. Source: Supplied
“They took away my ticket and passport,” she says.
She says her friend, Catherine, had a feeling that something was wrong.
“She was back here in Australia and it was a bit unusual because no one was expecting me to come home for a very long time. I was planning on being in India, for maybe, a few years.
"So she did have this dream that startled her and woke her up and made her feel, really strongly that I needed help, that something was wrong. So she ended up tracing everything that she could trace.
"There was a phone call that had been made by one of the main captors that I was there and that was because they wanted to extort money and items from my parents. So that phone number was the connecting link that they were able to use to find out where I was and have the police come and rescue me," she said.
She says she spent the next four-five days in Delhi where the embassy officials protected her before she returned to Australia.
‘Learning self-love and healing over the years’
These experiences, she says, have left her traumatised and it has taken her over 15 years to heal herself.
“It left a very big mark on my life. It took me many years to realise its impact. Even till this day, I get more clarity on the impact it has had on me. Just a few days ago, I realised that it took my freedom away. It was not just my body.
“In these years, I have healed a lot and I am still healing. I feel into the feeling I have in my body. I try to understand what is it that I am feeling and where am I feeling it.
“I try to find out if it is fear, if it is sadness or if it is terror. I allow myself to feel it and I allow myself to love myself while I feel.
“I try to listen to what my heart is trying to tell me. And what happens is I always learn what my body is trying to teach me and I have learnt to love myself unconditionally.”
She says her memoir, ‘A Dangerous Pursuit Of Happiness’ was part of her healing process.
“The reason why I wrote the book was I really wanted to inspire others that no matter what they have gone through, there is hope, that you can heal, that life can be good again and that there is a technique to overcome these things and feel better,” she says.
Allegations denied: 'She vanished without paying'
Houseboat owner, Mohammad Rafiq Dundoo, whom Mrs Greentree accuses of kidnapping and rape, has disputed her claims.
In an interview with a local news website, , Mr Rafiq has denied the allegations and said Ms Greentree went sightseeing and later vanished without paying her dues.
He claims Ms Greentree visited Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Mughal Gardens.
"If I had kidnapped her, how was she roaming around?” he said.
The news website reported a police complaint was registered against Mr Rafiq on 3 August 2004, for Rape and fraud.
“I was kept in [police custody] for 12 days and then released on temporary bail,” Mr Rafiq said.
His lawyer, Bilal Ahmad Bhat told the website that Carmen Greentree had refused to undergo a medical examination to prove her allegations.
As Ms Greentree failed to follow up despite multiple notices from the court, the case was closed in 2007 and marked as ‘not admitted’, Mr Bhat said.
'I did not run away. I was rescued by police', says Ms Greentree
Ms Greentree, in response, has said that she did not run away but was rescued by police, then assisted by the Australian embassy officials.
"I was rescued by a team of policemen. I did not run away. Why would a tourist need to run away? I had attempted to leave many times and Rafiq and his family would not allow it," she says.
"After the police had rescued me and got me to safety, they went back to the houseboat in Kashmir and recovered my passport.
She says she couldn't testify in the court because of the trauma.
"I was asked to testify many times, however, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do it. I was completely traumatised and shell-shocked."
Ms Greentree has recently requested for all of the case documents pertaining to her case under India's Freedom of Information law.
"I have felt guilty about that many times over the past 16 years. If I still have the chance to testify now, I will in a heartbeat. I will be looking into what my rights are and where I stand within the law, as soon as I receive all of the police reports and case files."
Despite her experiences in India, Ms Greentree holds no grudges against the country.
“Bad things can happen everywhere, in every country.
“I would personally love to go back to India and experience all the beautiful things that India has to offer.
“When you go to a new place, it would be wise to have that extra plan – go with someone, plan your travel,” she adds.
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