Mass sexual assault

{{see also|Mass sexual assault in Egypt}}

In Egypt, several mass sexual assaults have received wide international coverage.{{Cite web|title=Lara Logan breaks her silence, 60 Minutes, CBS|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO12X1nhzzk|date=1 May 2011|website=YouTube}}[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lara-logan-breaks-silence-on-cairo-assault/ transcript at CBS]. In Arabic, the term "mass sexual assaults" translates as {{lang|ar| تحرش جماعي}} ({{transl|ar|taḥarrush jamāʿī}}), often incorrectly transliterated in the mediaShams, Alex (21 January 2016). [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-shams/sexism-isnt-an-arab-cultural-practice_b_9022056.html "Neither Taharrush Gamea Nor Sexism Are Arab 'Cultural Practices'"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309150748/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-shams/sexism-isnt-an-arab-cultural-practice_b_9022056.html |date=2017-03-09 }}, Huffington Post. as "{{transl|ar|taharrush gamea}}" following a German police report into the 2015/2016 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany.[http://www.mik.nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Redakteure/Dokumente/Themen_und_Aufgaben/Schutz_und_Sicherheit/160111ssia/160111berichtmik.pdf "Bericht des Ministeriums für Inneres und Kommunales über die Übergriffe am Hauptbahnhof Köln in der Silvesternacht"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122032759/http://www.mik.nrw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Redakteure/Dokumente/Themen_und_Aufgaben/Schutz_und_Sicherheit/160111ssia/160111berichtmik.pdf |date=2016-01-22 }}, Ministerium für Inneres und Kommunales des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, 10 January 2016, pp. 1–15.{{rp|15}}

{{further|2015–16 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany}}

During New Year's Eve celebrations 2015/2016, incidents of mass sexual assault and numerous thefts occurred in Germany, mainly in Cologne city center. Over 1,200 women were reportedly sexually assaulted, in large part by men of North African origin.{{cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/koeln-meldet-inzwischen-106-anzeigen-nach-uebergriffen-an-silvester-14000124.html|title=Mehr als 100 Anzeigen nach Übergriffen an Silvester|trans-title=More than 100 reports of assaults on New Year's Eve|work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|access-date=24 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125091915/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/koeln-meldet-inzwischen-106-anzeigen-nach-uebergriffen-an-silvester-14000124.html|archive-date=25 January 2016}}{{in lang|de}}

{{main|Rape in India}}

{{see also|Kathua rape case|2012 Delhi gang rape and murder|2012 Guwahati molestation case|2012 Mangalore homestay attack|Gargi College molestations|||}}

Several cases of mass sexual assault have been reported in India and have received significant international coverage. During the 2002 riots in Gujarat, targeted violence against Muslim women and children documented by civil society groups reported "mass rapes, live burials and burnings, acid attacks, impaling, and other brutal forms of torture that was deeply gendered, and linked violence against women with violence on their children – both born and unborn".{{cite book |last1=Jacob |first1=Cecilia |title=Children and Violence - Politics of Conflict in South Asia |date=October 2016 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107117242 |editor1-last=D'Costa |editor1-first=Bina |page=203 |chapter=Children Affected by Political Violence in India}} Survivors reported "that sexual violence consisted of forced nudity, mass rapes, gang-rapes, mutilation, insertion of objects into bodies, cutting of breasts, slitting the stomach and reproductive organs, and carving of Hindu religious symbols on women's body parts.{{cite journal |last=Khanna |first=Renu |year=2008 |title=Communal Violence in Gujarat, India: Impact of Sexual Violence and Responsibilities of the Health Care System |journal=Reproductive Health Matters |volume=16 |issue=31 |pages=142–152 |doi=10.1016/s0968-8080(08)31357-3 |pmid=18513616 |s2cid=36616597}}

The Concerned Citizens' Tribunal, characterised the use of rape "as an instrument for the subjugation and humiliation of a community".

In July 2012, a teenage girl was sexually assaulted for up to 45 minutes by a large group of men outside a bar in Guwahati, Assam. No one intervened until the police arrived.Helen Pidd, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/15/india-media-sexual-assault-girl "Indian anger over media footage of girl being sexually assaulted"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202121200/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/15/india-media-sexual-assault-girl|date=2017-02-02}}, The Guardian, 15 July 2012.

In January 2018 an 8-year-old girl, Asifa Bano, was gang raped by six men and a juvenile in the Rasana village near Kathua in Indian-administered Kashmir. The forensic evidence revealed that Bano had been raped multiple times by different men, and that she had been strangled to death, as well as being hit in the head with a heavy stone{{Cite news |last=Eltagouri |first=Marwa |date=2021-12-01 |title=An 8-year-old's rape and murder inflames tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/11/an-8-year-olds-rape-and-murder-inflames-tensions-between-hindus-and-muslims-in-india/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |issn=0190-8286}} name=NYT>{{Cite news |last=Gettleman |first=Jeffrey |author-link=Jeffrey Gettleman |date=11 April 2018 |title=An 8-Year-Old's Rape and Killing Fuels Religious Tensions in India |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/world/asia/india-girl-rape.html |access-date=12 April 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |title=J&K: Kathua Rape-And-Murder Of 8-Year-Old Girl Was Aimed At Driving Nomads Out: Official |work=Outlook India |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/jk-kathua-rape-and-murder-of-8-year-old-girl-was-aimed-at-driving-nomads-out-off/309368 |access-date=11 April 2018}} The main culprit was Sanji Ram a priest of the local temple where the incident took place.{{cite web |date=5 April 2018 |title=Kathua rape-murder case: Tests confirm victim held in prayer hall, was sedated |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kathua-rape-murder-case-tests-confirm-victim-held-in-prayer-hall-was-sedated-5123806/ |access-date=10 April 2018 |publisher=The Indian Express}}

In July 2023 a video emerged of two Christian women in the Manipur state of India being forced to strip down naked and paraded through the streets by a large mob of men. The women were also sexually assaulted and slapped by the mob. The incident is said to have taken place in May of the same year however police only took action once the video went viral.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-07-20 |title=Shocking video emerges of sexual assault in India's Manipur state amid ethnic violence |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/20/asia/india-manipur-sexual-violence-video-intl/index.html |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Wallen |first=Joe |date=2022-12-21 |title=Ten years on from fatal gang rape, India's women are haunted by a sexual violence epidemic |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/women-and-girls/ten-years-fatal-gang-rape-indias-women-haunted-sexual-violence/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |issn=0307-1235}}

On 2 June 2022, at least 6 underaged girls were molested on a local train between Peschiera del Garda and Milan by young men of North African origin{{Cite web |last=Milano |first=Redazione |date=2022-04-06 |title=Molestie sessuali, paura per sei amiche sedicenni milanesi sul treno di ritorno da Gardaland |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/22_giugno_04/molestie-sessuali-paura-sei-amiche-sedicenni-milanesi-treno-ritorno-gardaland-6e203c30-e3e2-11ec-8fa9-ec9f23b310cf.shtml |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}} who had attended an illegal rave party hours prior.{{Cite web |last=Sciacca |first=Cesare Giuzzi, Alfio |date=2022-05-06 |title=La minore molestata sul treno dal Garda: «Insultate perché bianche» Le urla al rave: «Qui è Africa» |url=https://www.corriere.it/cronache/22_giugno_05/raduno-garda-urla-bandiere-ora-torna-l-africa-minore-molestata-ho-pianto-paura-18592042-e50d-11ec-8929-c5ad2690e50c.shtml |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}} Authorities later identified about 30 suspects.{{Cite web |last=Sciacca |first=Cesare Giuzzi e Alfio |date=2022-06-06 |title=Ragazze molestate in treno, trenta i sospettati: le indagini concentrate in Lombardia |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/22_giugno_06/ragazze-molestate-treno-trenta-sospettati-indagini-concentrate-lombardia-6d5b16da-e50e-11ec-8929-c5ad2690e50c.shtml |access-date=2022-06-06 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}}

During the 2022 New Year's celebration in the central Duomo square in Milan, at least 9 women were allegedly molested in separate mass sexual assault incidents.{{Cite web |last=Milano |first=Redazione |date=2022-07-01 |title=Piazza Duomo, almeno 5 ragazze molestate. Una turista tedesca: «Li respingevo e loro ridevano» |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/22_gennaio_07/ragazze-aggredite-piazza-duomo-capodanno-si-indaga-almeno-5-casi-d6c44f34-6fab-11ec-81f1-db9197a63523.shtml |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}}{{Cite web |last=Lio |first=Giuseppe Guastella e Pierpaolo |date=2022-11-01 |title=Molestie a Capodanno a Milano, 18 ragazzi perquisiti. Un gruppo veniva da Torino |url=https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/22_gennaio_11/capodanno-milano-branco-molestie-18-ragazzi-perquisiti-le-violenze-piazza-duomo-b5e325f8-72a6-11ec-8681-038bda9fc923.shtml |access-date=2023-08-31 |website=Corriere della Sera |language=it-IT}} A 19-year-old woman was reportedly assaulted by about 30 men "of foreign origin" who repeatedly molested and groped her and attempted to strip her of her clothes until the police managed to intervene. The victim was then brought to a nearby hospital.[https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/22_gennaio_05/ragazza-aggredita-capodanno-branco-piazza-duomo-780097f8-6e18-11ec-b03a-4a0e157e4787.shtml Milano, circondata e minacciata dal branco a Capodanno in piazza Duomo: la polizia cerca gli aggressori della 19enne], Il Corriere della Sera Two young German tourists reported being assaulted and groped for at least ten minutes by about two dozen men who "spoke Arabic". The girls lamented the indifference of the police, who reportedly failed to aid them even after hearing their cries for help. The two denounced the fact once they got back to their home city of Mannheim. On January 11 at least 18 suspects, all youngsters of North African origin, were identified and searched by Italian authorities, who were aided in their investigation by facial recognition software.

At the 2025 New Year's celebration in the central Duomo square in Milan several girls were molested by a crowd of 50 to 100 people. When they succeeded in reaching the police they didn't get any help.{{cite web |last=Ağacı|first=Evrim|date=2025-01-05|title=Belgian Students Face Sexual Assaults During Milan New Year's Eve|url=https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/belgian-students-face-sexual-assaults-during-milan-new-years-eve-142748|website=The Pinnacle Gazette|access-date=2025-01-05}}{{cite web |last=Bouche|first=Michaël|date=2025-01-04|title=Le réveillon à Milan tourne au cauchemar pour Laura et ses amis: “On m’a mis la main dans la culotte”|url=https://www.7sur7.be/belgique/le-reveillon-a-milan-tourne-au-cauchemar-pour-laura-et-ses-amis-on-ma-mis-la-main-dans-la-culotte~a5888e16/|trans-title=New Year's Eve in Milan turns into a nightmare for Laura and her friends: “Someone put their hand down my pants”.|language=fr|publisher=7sur7|access-date=2025-01-05}}{{cite web |author=mtm|date=2025-01-05|title=Belgische Laura en vrienden beleven nachtmerrie tijdens oudejaarsavond in Milaan: “Ze staken hun hand in mijn onderbroek”|url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20250105_92764745|trans-title=Belgian Laura and friends experience nightmare during New Year's Eve in Milan: “They put their hand in my underpants”|language=nl|publisher=Gazet van Antwerpen|access-date=}}

British television presenter Saira Khan said in 2016 that she had been sexually assaulted by a some men in a crowd in Pakistan in 2007 while filming a documentary for the BBC. She accused the BBC of having ignored the incident.[http://tribune.com.pk/story/1026680/apprentice-star-claims-she-was-sexually-assaulted-in-pakistan/ "Apprentice star claims she was sexually assaulted in Pakistan"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210034722/http://tribune.com.pk/story/1026680/apprentice-star-claims-she-was-sexually-assaulted-in-pakistan/ |date=2016-02-10 }}, Express Tribune, 13 January 2016.

{{further|We Are Sthlm sexual assaults}}

Female participants at We Are Sthlm, a summer music festival for teenagers in Stockholm, reported in 2014 and 2015 that they had been surrounded and molested by groups of males, mostly teenage boys. Police were accused of having failed to publicize the attacks because the suspects were mostly from Afghanistan. The incidents came to light only after the 2016 New Year's Eve attacks in Germany when the Stockholm Police were accused of covering up the incidents, which they denied.{{cite news|title=Assaults at the Stockholm festival have never been fully investigated|url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/assaults-at-the-stockholm-festival-have-never-been-fully-investigated/|work=Dagens Nyheter|date=11 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112031958/http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/assaults-at-the-stockholm-festival-have-never-been-fully-investigated/|archive-date=12 January 2016}}{{pb}}

Bilefsky, Dan (11 January 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/world/europe/swedish-police-coverup-sexual-assault.html "Swedish Police, Accused of Cover-Up, Look Into Reports of Sex Assault at Festival"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111200927/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/world/europe/swedish-police-coverup-sexual-assault.html |date=2016-01-11 }}, The New York Times.{{pb}}

Orange, Richard (11 January 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/12093935/Police-in-Sweden-accused-of-hushing-up-asylum-seeker-assaults-at-festival.html "Police in Sweden accused of hushing up asylum seeker assaults at festival"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217013213/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/12093935/Police-in-Sweden-accused-of-hushing-up-asylum-seeker-assaults-at-festival.html |date=2016-02-17 }}, The Daily Telegraph.

{{further|Woodstock 1999|Puerto Rican Day Parade attacks|Seattle Mardi Gras riot}}

In July 1999, Woodstock 1999 took place and police subsequently investigated four complaints of sexual assault and rape, including digital rape, that allegedly occurred. At least one eyewitness, who was working as a volunteer at the event, reported to The Washington Post that he had seen a woman who was crowd surfing pulled down into the mosh pit and raped by five men.Alona Wartofsky, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/july99/woodstock29.htm "Police Investigate Reports of Rapes at Woodstock"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219071649/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/july99/woodstock29.htm |date=2012-02-19 }}, The Washington Post, 29 July 1999.

On 11 June 2000 at least 44 women reported being sexually assaulted and robbed by a group of 60 men during the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. The police were heavily criticized for their handling of the attacks.Michael Ellison, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/17/michaelellison1 "NY police 'ignored' park sex attacks"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202122506/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/17/michaelellison1 |date=2017-02-02 }}, The Guardian, 17 June 2000.

In February 2001, witnesses saw groups of men grope women, tearing off their clothes and apparently digitally penetrating them during the Mardi Gras celebrations in Seattle, Washington.{{cite news | first=Lewis | last=Kamb | author2=Tracy Johnson | title=Many sexual assaults at Mardi Gras | date=10 March 2001 | work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | url=http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/mardi10.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010312012137/http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/mardi10.shtml | archive-date=12 March 2001 }}{{pb}}

{{cite news|title=Mardi Gras news photo that wasn't published wins prize|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020331/photo31m/mardi-gras-news-photo-that-wasnt-published-wins-prize|date=31 March 2002|newspaper=The Seattle Times|author=Davila, Florangela|author2=Ostrom, Carol M.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219103859/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020331&slug=photo31m|archive-date=19 February 2011}}{{pb}}

{{cite news | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20010302/dead02m0/man-killed-at-mardi-gras-was-trying-to-help-woman | title=Man Killed at Mardi Gras was trying to help woman | date=2 March 2001 | work=The Seattle Times | first1=Ian | last1=Ith | first2=Nancy | last2=Bartley | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209183410/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20010302&slug=dead02m0 | archive-date=9 December 2010 }}

• Bystander effect
• Nanjing Massacre
• War rape
• Crime prevention

• Rape Narratives in Motion. Germany, Springer International Publishing, 2019. Editors: Gabriella Nilsson, Lena Karlsson, Monika Edgren, Ulrika Andersson

{{Reflist|2}}

Category:Crimes against women

Category:Rape

Category:Sexual harassment

Category:Sexual violence at riots and crowd disturbances

Category:Sex crimes