MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Online harassment of Mexican women footballers has finally met with swift action after an alleged perpetrator was arrested after being publicly exposed by Club America Femenil.
The Mexican club issued a statement this week saying the harasser was the same person reported by striker Scarlett Camberos, who was forced to leave the country in March due to the lack of response from the authorities to her allegations.
“Once again one of our players is being a victim of digital violence and has filed a complaint with the Mexico City Attorney of Justice, as well as multiple proofs of the harassment she is suffering,” said America Femenil on Thursday.
“There are no repercussions after the complaints and this guy continues to attack our players. To alert young women who may be being harassed by the same aggressor we have no choice but to make his name and photograph public.”
The law enforcement body issued a statement in response on Friday asking affected players to ratify their complaints. Mexico City’s Public Safety Secretary, Omar Garcia Harfuch, later announced the arrest of the alleged harasser.
Cyber-bullying, threats and invasions of privacy are problems reported by several players across all Liga MX women’s clubs and were made more visible after the incident involving Camberos, currently a player of Angel City, the club co-owned by Serena Williams and Natalie Portman in Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; editing by Clare Fallon)
