Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called for sexual harassment to be criminalized nationwide after she was groped by a man while greeting supporters near the presidential palace in Mexico City. The 63-year-old president, who filed a complaint against the assailant, said the attack, which was captured on camera and followed by the man’s arrest, underscored what many women in Mexico face daily. She vowed to push for unified legislation across all 32 states, where harassment is not consistently treated as a criminal offence, and urged authorities to make reporting easier for victims.
The incident has reignited scrutiny of women’s safety in Mexico, a country where the United Nations reports an average of 10 women murdered each day and where 70 percent of women aged 15 and over have experienced sexual harassment.
Compiled From: Kevin Doyle, “Mexico’s President Sheinbaum presses charges after groping attack on street”, AlJazeera, Nov. 6, 2025.