Mexican Woman Resorts to YouTube When Police Refuse to Help with Sexual Harassment

Nancy Rojas Pastelin is a 28-year old fashion designer living in Mexico City. She attempted to seek help from police when a man who had been harassing her verbally became more aggressive and began to stalk her. The police accused her of exaggerating about the man’s “flirtatious” behavior and said that they could do nothing unless the man grabbed or raped her. Outraged by the lack of police response, Pastelin decided to tell her story on YouTube. She posted a video titled, “Where is the Law for us Women?” that was linked to her Twitter account and viewed by more than 300,000 people. The video also got the attention of news media outlets and women’s groups in Mexico and the pressure eventually led police to pursue the harasser. Pastelin has now removed the video as her legal case goes forward. She says the results were mixed. She received many supportive comments and it did help get her case attention from the police but it also opened her up to abusive comments and the misuse of her photos and comments. Her utlimate question: why do women have to go to such lengths to be taken seriously when harassed?

http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/02/07/mexico-sexual-harassment-justice-youtube/