A middle school girl in Mexico who was bullied for liking K-pop fell from a building, prompting the Mexican president to personally announce measures against school violence.
According to Yonhap News, President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a regular press conference on the 18th (local time), "There should be no kind of bullying in schools," adding, "Our government's goal is to eliminate verbal and physical violence against other students." President Sheinbaum stated, "Under the previous administration, a response manual for (school violence) was prepared and progress was made to solve the problem, but we must move forward to achieve more," and said she instructed relevant agencies to supplement measures to prevent recurrence of similar cases and support victims.
The president's announcement was triggered by an incident that occurred on the 4th at a middle school in Mexico City. At that time, a 13-year-old student named Fatima Sabala reportedly fell from the third floor after being pressured by her classmates. The victim showed a strong interest in K-pop and Korean culture, and controversy grew as some students at the same school allegedly bullied her by making it a "mockery."
Fatima's friends are also known to have given similar eyewitness testimonies to the prosecution. In particular, it was claimed that at least three students committed cyberbullying by posting insulting content about the victim online. Fatima's parents lamented that she has been receiving psychiatric treatment.
The Mexico City Prosecutor's Office said in a press release the day before, "The father of the student who suffered the fall officially filed a report on the 7th regarding suspicions of school violence, and an investigation was immediately launched," adding, "The prosecution will conduct a thorough investigation to clarify the facts, especially considering that the consequences of school violence can be severe."
The incident also sparked outrage online. Local Hallyu fan clubs are campaigning on social networking services (SNS) with the hashtag #JusticeForFatima, demanding strict punishment for the perpetrator of this incident. As K-pop was identified as the background for the bullying, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico also expressed solidarity with the anti-school violence movement triggered by this case.
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