A disturbing incident from Monday (September 11) shook social media. A South Korean vlogger was sexually assaulted by an alleged Indian man while live-streaming her visit to Hong Kong on Twitch.
The attack took place at the Central MTR (Mass Transit Railway) station and was witnessed by hundreds of online viewers. The perpetrator, identified as Amit, an Indian national, was arrested the following day September 12, Tuesday on charges of indecent assault and outraging public decency, reported the South China Morning Post.
The harrowing assault
During her livestream, the Korean vlogger was harassed by the man, who followed her into a stairwell of the Central MTR station.
Pretending to seek help with public transport, he grabbed her hand and forcibly insisted, "Listen, come with me. I'm alone," which can be clearly heard in the video too.
As Twitch users watched, the assaulter pinned the victim against the stairwell wall, sexually assaulted her, and grabbed her chest.
The following video can be disturbing to watch. Viewer discretion advised:
“I’m not alone,” she cried, multiple times resisting the man's multiple advances.
The situation diffused and the man fled when another commuter approached, as seen in the clip that was watched live by approximately 500 people.
The victim, in another video following the incident, showed the bruises she sustained during the assault. “The bruises became worse actually, he held me too tight,” she said.
The following video can be disturbing to watch. Viewer discretion advised:
The incident provoked outrage on social media, with many expressing concern for the content creator's safety. Some netizens questioned the victim's response, but many more defended her.
Following the incident, the Police received more than 10 complaints about the incidents, most probably by the viewers, reported the South China Morning Post.
The following video can be disturbing to watch. Viewer discretion advised:
Amit, the alleged perpetrator was identified through his Facebook profile as a waiter of the Rajasthan Rifles Indian restaurant in Hong Kong and has been disavowed by his workplace. The restaurant said that he was no longer an employee of their establishment and condemned his actions.
Hong Kong Police received over 10 reports of the incident on the day it occurred. Detective Inspector Kong Wai-ming of the Central Criminal Investigation Unit urged the victim to contact the police and encouraged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
The following day, the perpetrator was arrested by the Hong Kong Police after identifying him as the clothes and shoes in his possession matched the ones he had on the video.
The MTR Corporation, responding to the viral video, affirmed its commitment to passenger safety and called on passengers who feel disturbed to notify station staff immediately.