Mexico’s President Files Charges Against Man Who Groped Her on the Street

Mexico’s President Files Charges Against Man Who Groped Her on the Street

By Paul V. Young – TheNationWeek.Com | November 6, 2025

MEXICO CITY – A brazen act of street harassment against Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ignited a national debate about the pervasive issue of sexual assault and harassment faced by women across the country.

The incident, captured on video, shows a man approaching Sheinbaum from behind, groping her, and attempting to kiss her while she walked from the National Palace to the Education Ministry.

The brief but shocking clip has thrust the daily realities of harassment and assault experienced by countless Mexican women into the spotlight.

In response, Sheinbaum announced at her daily press briefing that she has pressed charges against the man.

“If this is done to the president, what is going to happen to all of the young women in our country?” Sheinbaum said, highlighting the vulnerability of ordinary citizens.

She also called on state governments to review their laws and procedures to ensure women can easily report such assaults, emphasizing the need for a clear message: “No, women’s personal space must not be violated.”

The incident has resonated deeply with many Mexican women.

Andrea González Martínez, 27, shared her experiences of harassment on public transportation, including one instance where a man followed her home.

“It happens regularly; it happens on public transportation,” she said. “It’s something you experience every day in Mexico.”

Carmen Maldonado Castillo, 43, echoed this sentiment, stating, “It’s not good that men attack us. You can’t walk around freely in the street.”

Sheinbaum, the first woman and first Jewish person to be president of Mexico, explained that her decision to press charges stemmed from her own experiences with harassment, including incidents she faced as a 12-year-old using public transportation.

“I decided to press charges because this is something that I experienced as a woman, but that we as women experience in our country,” she stated, emphasizing her responsibility to all women as president.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, referencing Sheinbaum’s historic election, emphasized that the harassment of any woman, including the nation’s leader, is an assault on all women.

“It’s not a slogan; it’s a commitment to not look the other way, to not allow misogyny to continue to be veiled in habits, to not accept a single additional humiliation, not another abuse, not a single femicide more,” Brugada declared.

While some initially worried that Sheinbaum had downplayed the assault, her willingness to address the issue publicly has sparked hope for change.

Lilian Valvuena, 31, expressed hope that the incident will lead to better training for police in responding to such cases.

Marina Reyna, executive director of the Guerrero Association against Violence toward Women, hopes the president’s actions will change how such cases are handled, addressing the widespread lack of confidence in the institutions meant to protect women.

“You lose confidence in the institutions,” Reyna said.

“People stop going to report it because when you report it, nothing happens.”

The incident has prompted a critical examination of the deeply ingrained societal issues that contribute to the prevalence of harassment and assault against women in Mexico, and whether this high-profile case will be a catalyst for meaningful change remains to be seen.