Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Was Groped in Public, and She’s Turning It Into a Fight for Women’s Safety
On November 4, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was walking down the street with her team when she was sexually harassed. According to Mexican media, authorities have detained her aggressor. Now, Sheinbaum has pressed charges and is campaigning to make street harassment a crime across Mexico.
Women are not safe even walking down the street in broad daylight
Passersby in Mexico City captured the moment a man slid his arm through President Claudia Sheinbaum’s shoulders and groped her. The now-viral video has sparked outrage in Mexico, where gender violence has run rampant in recent years.
According to the Associated Press, Sheinbaum had stopped to take selfies with supporters when the incident happened. The President and her team headed on foot to the Education Department, located three blocks down from the National Palace, “to save time.” Suddenly, a visibly drunk man appeared by her side and placed his arm around her shoulders, touching her breast and attempting to kiss her neck. Sheinbaum moved away as security stepped in.
Sheinbaum is heard saying, “Don’t worry” to the man. However, the President later explained she didn’t realize that the man had inappropriately touched her until she saw the videos.
The street harassment episode prompted national indignation as key political figures, women’s organizations, and citizens shed light on the violence Mexican women endure daily.
“It is essential that men understand that this type of behavior not only violates women but is also a crime.” The Mexican Secretariat for Women shared in a statement. “This type of violence should not be trivialized.”
Claudia Sheinbaum has now pressed charges against the perpetrator
On the night of November 4, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced that the authorities had arrested the perpetrator. He is now being prosecuted by the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office.
Sheibum further addressed the situation on November 5, during her daily morning brief. The President explained she decided to file an official complaint to set a precedent for all women. “If I don’t file a complaint, what will become of all Mexican women? If this happens to the president, what will happen to all the young women in our country?” she said.
The Mexican first authority also opened up about a previous sexual harassment instance she encountered when she was a minor riding pubic transportation to school. “I decided to press charges because this is something that I experienced as a woman, but also that we as women experience in our country,” Sheinbaum said.
Though sexual harassment is a crime according to the Mexico City Penal Code, not all Mexican states recognize it as a crime. Sheibaum called for the federal authorities to look into the matter and implement procedures that facilitate reporting sexual crimes.
No woman is safe in Mexico. Not even the President.
This isn’t an isolated case in Mexico. Last year, NPR reported that nine out of 10 Mexican women have been victims of sexual harassment on the public metro system alone. Additional statistics are just as telling. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico reports that more than 40% of Mexican women have encountered psychological, sexual, or physical violence before the age of 15. Meanwhile, 9 to 10 women are killed in the country every day.
The gender violence crisis has escalated, among other reasons, due to the high levels of crime impunity in the country. In 2023, the Center for Impunity and Justice Studies (CESIJ) at Universidad de Las Américas published the Mexico Global Impunity Index. According to the study, only 4.46% of the crimes reported in Mexico result in convictions. However, only about 7% of total crimes in the country are reported, meaning the vast majority of crimes committed in the country go unpunished.
