Indian pervs arrested after harassing tourist in Mumbai

Two men have been arrested in Mumbai after the attempted abduction of a South Korean tourist while she was livestreaming.

On Tuesday night Hyojeong Park, known as Mhyochi on social media, was livestreaming as she walked through the city. The video shows a man forcibly putting his arm around Park and kissing her on the cheek.

Park, who has more than 12,000 followers on the livestreaming service Twitch, usually posts videos of herself playing video games and trying food. She has been in India for a few weeks, documenting her experiences through live vlogs.

On Tuesday, she was walking through Mumbai’s Khar neighbourhood while interacting with her followers and people on the road when she was approached by a man who grabbed her arm and tried to pull her onto his motorbike, before trying to kiss her cheek.

Last night on stream, there was a guy who harassed me. I tried my best not to escalate the situation and leave because he was with his friend. And some people said that it was initiated by me being too friendly and engaging the conversation. Makes me think again about streaming. https://t.co/QQvXbOVp9F

— Mhyochi in 🇮🇳 (@mhyochi) November 30, 2022

Park, visibly shaken, walks away from him, saying “time to go home.” But the man and a friend follow her on the bike and ask her for her phone number. Eventually, another man crosses the road to help her.

The video also shows Park in a hotel where she ends the video by saying she is safe.

Some commenters blamed her for the harassment because she had been “too friendly” and initiated a conversation with the man when he approached her.

On Wednesday, a Twitter user shared the clip, calling the behaviour of the men “disgusting.” The user also tagged the Mumbai police, saying the incident should not go unpunished.

The Indian pervs were arrested and have since been charged with molestation, the BBC reports, which will outrage Indian women who are faced with this kind of abuse every day. An Indian woman in the same situation would have no prospect of police intervention. Far worse abuse of women is the everyday norm on India’s streets.