Video of a "Taxi Driver" Sexually Assaulting a Saudi Woman Causes Uproar

The hashtag #متحرش_المدينه (Medina Harasser) went viral on social media, and the story behind it revolves around a Saudi girl who shared a video documenting the sexual harassment she encountered while she was in a car she thought was an Uber. 

The girl had gotten in the car, before she realized that it does not belong to neither Uber nor Careem, and when she tried to leave, the driver tried to molest her by touching her body, so she started crying and begging the driver to stop.

Translation: “It is our responsibility to share this video to show sexual harassers that we will eventually catch them. The poor girl is probably traumatized by now, maybe for the rest of her life, because of a horrible person like him.”

After the incident went viral, many social media activists demanded that the harasser should be arrested and punished with the most severe repercussions, while others thought that the girl made a mistake by riding in a stranger's car without making sure it's legitimate, and that she bears part of the responsibility. 

Translation: “The monster changed his route to sexually assault the poor girl and maybe even kill her or worse. What if this girl was you and me? We should punish this man with the most severe punishment in order to stop people like him.”

Translation: “From what I read, she stopped a stranger’s car and got in it without knowing whether it's an Uber or not. She’s the one who got in the car, she could have said no, of course the driver will think she had different intentions.”

The incident highlighted the issue of sexual harassment in the kingdom, and how Saudi girls are afraid to confront their families for fear of being 'honor' killed or punished. Many Saudi women came forward and spoke of their sexual harassment experiences that are similar to the girl in the video. 

Translation: “So far, three confessions of girls talking about their experience with sexual harassment, and I'm sure their silence was due to fear of family or unfair laws."

Saudi authorities announced that they have managed to arrest the 29-year-old harasser, and that he would be charged with sexual assault and punished for his crime. 

Translation: “We have arrested the sexual harasser of Medina.”