Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday she's pressing charges against a man who groped her on the street a day earlier.
The big picture: Video of Tuesday's incident on a Mexico City street went viral and Sheinbaum said on X that she would "review the legislation so that this crime is punishable in all" of the 32 Mexican states.
- Sheinbaum said it must be made clear that, "beyond being president, this is something that many women experience in the country and in the world; no one can violate our body and personal space."
Zoom in: In a video accompanying the post, Sheinbaum said: "I first thought about it [the incident] as a woman, 'Should I press charges? Should I not press charges?' But ultimately, I thought, 'I have to press charges; it's not an option not to.'"
- She noted that "many women have to deal with this" and "if this can happen to the president, what can we expect for all the young women in our country?"
- Mexico's first woman president added: "This is something that should not happen."
Of note: Sheinbaum said the resharing of the video of her attack is also a crime and that posting it is "completely unethical and immoral."
- Doing so could contravene a Mexican law that prohibits the dissemination and production of intimate sexual content without consent and it could be considered revictimization, she said.
What's next: Sheinbaum said she plans to launch a campaign to educate men, underscoring that respect for women is essential.
- "This is an issue of dignity for women and of recognizing our rights," she said. "We have published a women's rights booklet, and this is connected to that. It's a matter of defending all Mexican women."
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Axios' Lucia Maher contributed reporting.
