Australian Elizabeth Littlewood (26), who was kidnapped, shot and raped by three men March 30, is not the only tourist who has been a victim of crime in Lima and Callao, Perú.21 reports.

According to the Department of Tourism and Environmental Protection, the number of assaults and robberies of tourists have decreased compared to previous years but remain high.

So far in 2011 there have been 133 reports of foreigners who have suffered theft (79), robbery (43) and assault (11) in Lima and Callao.

Given the situation, police have identified more than 30 highly dangerous areas where both foreign and domestic visitors are often attacked.

The head of the Department of Tourism and Environmental Protection, Teófilo Díaz Marín, said that the main targets of the criminals are foreigners who ignore the lack of safety on the streets of Lima and opt for informal taxis near Jorge Chavez International Airport.

"Most times, tourists are attacked while taking taxis from the airport to their hotels. Thieves take advantage of the red lights to steal their luggage," Díaz said.

The police authority has been able to identify hot spots or dangers to visitors who travel to districts like San Miguel, Pueblo Libre, Jesús María, Magdalena, San Isidro and Miraflores.

At least 20 of these dangerous points are located along the avenues Faucett and La Marina. Two other risk areas are at the intersection of Avenida Sánchez Carrión and the Military Hospital – on the border between Magdalena and Jesús María – and the avenues of Gregorio Escobedo and Salaverry

Another concern is that in recent months rape has been reported by criminals posing as taxi drivers.

Díaz says in addressing the problem seven routes have been identified that drivers tend to take and a plan to strengthen security along these routes will be launched.

Reports from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism estimates that more than 2 million visitors will come to Peru this year. However, there are only 202 tourism police officials on the streets around the country to protect them. Most are located in Lima. The lack of dedicated staff for tourists' protection is one of the problems in combatting the crime.

The president of National Tourist Protection, Santiago Vizcarra, said the organization has devised strategies to reinforce the work of the police. However, two years after its creation, progress is slow.

Vizcarra will meet with officials of the Ministry of Interior to review the new plans that police will be fully implementing in coming months.