Twitch Streamer Sexually Assaulted During A Livestream By A Stranger

A Twitch streamer known as may5w narrowly escaped a sexual assault while live-streaming her first day in Hong Kong, thanks to the intervention of a passer-by. On September 10, during the course of her IRL (In Real Life) stream—one of the popular categories on the Amazon-owned platform where streamers document their real-world adventures—may5w was accosted by a stranger who began groping her. Despite her pleas for him to stop, the man persisted and followed her into a subway station.

Twitch Streamer Sexually Assaulted During a Livestream by a Stranger

As the streamer was descending a stairwell, the assailant pushed her against a wall and began forcing himself on her. Frantically, may5w called for help, declaring "I'm not alone!" to dissuade the assailant. The assailant kept mumbling something to her that listeners couldn't understand. But he kept pressing her against the wall and began groping her, even as she begged him to stop. At this crucial moment, another man appeared on the scene and seemed to position himself protectively near may5w, causing the assailant to flee. Grateful, may5w thanked the passer-by who had shown up just in time to deter the attacker.

Footage of the harrowing event spread quickly online. It was reported that may5w was hesitant to file a police report, fearing that the attacker might seek revenge. Fortunately, she was able to escape the situation unharmed, although the incident underscores the risks that come with live-streaming in public spaces, particularly for women.

While the encounter was undeniably terrifying and could have had far worse outcomes, it also led to an unexpected uptick in may5w's Twitch viewership. The clip of the incident going viral resulted in her gaining several hundred new followers and achieving her highest viewership numbers in months.

This incident raises important questions about safety and ethics related to live-streaming. As IRL streams continue to grow in popularity, with streamers often venturing into unfamiliar territories to share their experiences, concerns about personal safety must be part of the conversation. This episode also brings attention to the bystander effect, where the passer-by’s intervention likely prevented a more tragic outcome, highlighting the importance of vigilance and intervention in public spaces to deter such attacks.

The man who assaulted her is allegedly an Indian man named Amit Jaryal. He reportedly works at the Rajasthan Rifles Indian Restaurant and was later arrested by authorities. His revealed identity has sparked a conversation about the incredibly high rates of rape in India. In 2021, 31,677 cases of rape were registered, which averaged to 86 daily; almost 49 crimes against women were lodged every hour, per government reports. The number of rape cases in 2020 was 28,046, while it was 32,033 in 2019, the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) 'Crime in India 2021' report showed. The NCRB functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In May 2022, a harrowing case emerged from Uttar Pradesh, India, involving the rape of a 13-year-old Dalit girl by a police officer. The girl had gone to the police station to file a report about being gang-raped by four men when she was sexually assaulted by the officer. This incident is another stark reminder of the chronic issue of sexual violence in India, where, despite stricter laws and fast-track courts, a woman is raped every 18 minutes on average. New Delhi alone saw a 19% increase in sexual violence against women, from 6,747 cases in 2021 to 7,887 cases in the first seven months of 2022. Rape has become part of a vicious cycle involving public outcry, followed by inaction from authorities and society.

The 2012 Delhi gang rape case, known as the Nirbhaya case, remains an emblematic tragedy in this regard. Despite the brutal assault that led to her death, victim-blaming attitudes persisted even in courtrooms. Mukesh Singh, one of the assailants, and his defense attorney, AP Singh, both blamed the victim for the incident, revealing the deeply misogynistic mindset prevalent in Indian society.

The inefficiency and insensitivity of police departments create additional barriers to justice. Financial constraints, a lack of effective legal assistance for marginalized communities, and unethical medical practices like the "two-finger test" further impede the path to justice for victims. Additionally, the absence of a witness protection law in India makes it easy for perpetrators to intimidate victims and witnesses.

People suspect that many Indian immigrants arrive in other parts of the world, such as Hong Kong, and bring along this devastating nonchalance about sexual assault. When the case of may5w was shared online, many suggested that this kind of behavior explains why rape is so prevalent in India.

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