Attacked in Strasbourg by three men who accused her of wearing a skirt, Elisabeth had told her story in a testimony that had gone viral. Today, she files a complaint against her attackers.
by Melanie Bonvard
Insults and punches for wearing a skirt : voila'aggression that Elisabeth suffered on September 22, 2020, in the heart of Strasbourg. After speaking on the web, the 22-year-old student filed a complaint with the police station in Strasbourg. It was 2 p.m. on September 18 when she said she had been hailed by three men in a street near the city center. The press release published by the Departmental Directorate of Public Security of Bas-Rhin details that "the three individuals criticized her for wearing a skirt." They then physically assaulted the young woman. An investigation was therefore opened "for violence committed in a meeting" and police are currently searching for testimony as well as viewing surveillance cameras.
A testimony that ignites the web
At the end of last week, the young woman confided in "France Bleu", showing her swollen face. In a video that quickly went viral, she says she was arrested by three men. One of them started to curse him: "Look at that bitch in a skirt." Taken aback, she then addressed them asking: "Sorry?" . One of the men exclaimed: "You shut up bitch and lower your eyes", then two of them grabbed her by the arm and the third hit her in the face. The three attackers then fled into the streets of Strasbourg. The student also claims that she was not helped by those present. Yet, according to her, at least fifteen people witnessed this violence: "This is what revolts me the most in history", the young girl confided in France Blue.
Too few victims who dare to file a complaint
Beyond the general public, this affair made the political sphere react. Élisabeth Moreno, secretary of state for gender equality, told AFP: "All forms of gender-based and sexual violence in public space are unacceptable and I strongly condemn them." MEP and former Strasbourg mayor Fabienne Keller praised Elisabeth's courage on Twitter.
According to the Departmental Directorate of Public Security of Bas-Rhin, "sexist outrages are on the rise" in the Bas-Rhin, with "28 facts in 2020 against 26 in 2019". Figures well below reality, since they are based on the complaints filed and that according to the National Observatory of Violence Against Women, only 10% of women victims of street harassment and sexist assault in France dare to go through the door of a police station.