A Colombian journalist covering the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia for a German news channel was recently kissed and apparantly groped by a football fan on live TV.
Julieth Gonzalez Theran was in Saransk and was live on camera when a man suddenly entered the frame, kissed her on her cheek with his hands purportedly on her breast. The journalist – working for German channel Deutsche Welle – took to Twitter to share the video of the incident and said that the said fan waited till the live telecast began before making his move. She claimed that she had been at the spot for some time but that the man took advantage of the live reporting in front of the camera to ensure she could not react immediately. “I was at the spot for almost two hours before the live telecast began – preparing my things but nothing happened. But when we went live, that man took advantage of it,” she was later quoted as saying. “He came at me, gave me a kiss and touched my breast.”
In the video, Theran is seen continuing with her report but she later claimed that she went looking for the man after her live telecast had ended. She could not find him.
While it is not clear if the man was a local or one of thousands of fans who are in Saransk for the World Cup. The nationality of the man is also not clear as his attire did not point towards which team he was supporting in the World Cup.
The incident has been highly criticised by people around the world. Many have pointed out why a woman journalist should be made to feel unsafe. That she is a professional and should be allowed to do her job is what most have highlighted on social boards.
Source: Zee News