RAFİF ESLEEM

Gaza- Palestinian journalist Mervat Al-Azza announced in April that she had been sexually harassed by an x-ray technician in a private hospital after she was taken to the hospital for treatment due to her injury in a traffic accident in the city of Bethlehem. Although several people at the hospital tried to convince her to close the matter and cover up the incident, the journalist filed a criminal complaint with the Ministry of Health and the Public Prosecution.

NuJINHA spoke to Mervat Al-Azza about the sexual assault against her at the hospital and her struggle for justice.

“I was involved in a traffic accident in March. I was transferred to a private hospital in the city of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank because my hand and wrist were broken in the accident. I was taken to the x-ray room. The x-ray technician often asked me if someone was with me or not. I felt uncomfortable due to his questions. When he realized that I was alone, he began to touch my body. When I understood that he sexually harassed me, I left the room and screamed to ask for help. When the x-ray technician understood that the sexual assault would be revealed, he fled,” she told us.

 Mervat Al-Azza thinks she was sexually harassed because the hospital is located in a rural area and because of the laws encouraging men to commit such crimes. “Women should be aware of some conditions during the examination. “Many women are subjected to sexual harassment in hospitals and operating rooms. Women should be aware of their rights and they should report sexual assault against them at hospitals.”

‘I filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrator

Although several people at the hospital tried to convince her to close the matter and cover up the incident, Mervat Al-Azza filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrator to defend her rights and the rights of all women.

 “After filing the criminal complaint, I received threats from the family members of the perpetrator so I announced the sexual assault against me on my social media account. I announced the sexual assault against me because I wanted to be the voices of dozens of women are subjected to sexual harassment at hospitals every day,” Mervat Al-Azza told NuJINHA.

Support from women

After announcing the sexual assault against her on her social media account, many women expressed their support and solidarity with Mervat Al-Azza. “I did not expect such feminist support and solidarity. Women needed a person to be their voice. Many international organizations and non-governmental organizations got in touch with me to offer me their support.”

She receives threats

Mervat Al-Azza still receives threats from the family members of the perpetrator. “They have threatened me to withdraw the complaint and delete my social media post. Despite the threats, I will keep struggling for the punishment of the perpetrator.”