Woman who filmed man masturbate in front to her on train and posted video online faces harsher punishment than culprit
A woman who filmed a man publicly masturbating in front of her on a train in France and then posted the video online without blurring his face could face a more severe punishment than him.
Natasha Bras, 37, was on a 75-minute train journey from Paris to Poitiers when another man on the train moved seats and sat in front of her, and then started masturbating while maintaining eye contact, according to the Daily Mail.
Bras, who is reportedly the vice-president of MoiAussiAmnesie, an organization that provides support to victims of sexual assault who suffer from amnesia, said the ordeal lasted for the entire journey and that, at one point, he even followed her towards the bathroom.
As she was in a near-empty carriage, she decided that her only defense against the man was to film him and publicly shame him. And so she did.
She then proceeded to post the video on Twitter for the world to see, ensuring she did not blur the culprit's face to hold him accountable.
"Paris> Poitiers by TGV (about 1h15) with a guy who changes places and sits in front of me, looks at me and masturbates... there's still work!" she wrote in the caption. "No reason not to display it so I put the video here! (The softest videos say).
The video was viewed more than 1,17,000 times, with one person questioning her and writing, "Hello slut, if the wagon was "ALMOST" empty, why did not you change places?"
She furiously replied, "I just found another specimen aggressor who thinks it's up to the victim to find a solution. Slut? Do we know each other? Or is it just because if the guy masturbated next to me it's my fault?"
It also caught the attention of the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français (SNCF), the country's national state-owned railway company whose train Bras was traveling on.
SNCF expressed its regrets to Bras for the incident, replying to her tweet and writing, "Hello @Onlygold20 (Bras' twitter handle), I understand your concern and regret these difficult travel conditions."
"Also, if this happens again, do not hesitate to report it to the Chief of Flight or to contact the SNCF emergency service," the reply said.
And while the culprit might get a one-year jail term and a $17,000 fine, it's possible that Bras might, in fact, be punished more severely on grounds that she did not have the man's consent and therefore breached his privacy.
Bras could be slapped with a $51,000 fine as well as a jail term over the incident and expressed her annoyance at the situation, writing, "I can be sentenced to a heavier penalty? Do you think it is acceptable?"
She said she would file an official complaint against the man.