Basra harassment video: Victim’s mother urges removal

Shafaq News- Basra

A teenage girl who was subjected to a mass harassment incident on Basra’s Corniche attempted suicide twice in the aftermath, her mother told Shafaq News on Monday.

Unfolded during public New Year gatherings, the incident took place when a group of young men harassed several girls along the Corniche. Video footage of the incident later circulated widely across social media platforms.

The girl’s mother appealed to the Interior Ministry, the National Security Service, and social media users who shared the footage to remove the videos, warning that their continued circulation is inflicting further psychological harm on her daughter.

She said her daughter’s mental health deteriorated sharply after the video spread online the following day, adding that the girl has been “clinically dead since the incident,” in reference to the severe psychological impact.

According to the mother, the family has filed a formal legal complaint against those involved in the harassment.

She also urged the relevant authorities to closely pursue the case to ensure the law is enforced and victims’ rights are protected.

Earlier, Basra Governor Asaad al-Eidani announced the arrest of 17 individuals who appeared in the harassment video. However, he said the incident had been exaggerated and argued that it unfairly portrayed Basra’s youth in a negative light, adding that similar incidents occur in many parts of the world.