TRIGGER WARNING – Description of sexual assault.

British journalist Natasha Smith was in Egypt this month to “independently film a 20-minute documentary on women’s rights and abuses against women in Egypt since the revolution.”

Her project was cut short this week when a huge group of men not only took away her video equipment but sexually assaulted her Sunday evening (less than 48 hours ago).

She shares her ordeal in great detail on her blog, from the hundreds of men who ripped off her clothes to the difficulty she had finding help.

She is leaving the country now, though she vows to return to finish her project. She writes:

“I am determined to continue with my documentary at some point. I have no equipment, (not even any of my photos) am nervous about the possibility of not getting my insurance to cover all the equipment and everything taken from me, and no money to resume the process. But I’ll get there.

I have to find a silver lining to this experience. I have to spread awareness; it is my duty to do so. I have to do this; I will not be driven into submission. I will overcome this and come back stronger and wiser. My documentary will be fueled by my passion to help make people aware of just how serious this issue is, and that it’s not just a passing news story that briefly gets people’s attention then is forgotten. This is a consistent trend and it has to stop. Arab women, western women – there are so many sufferers.

I am determined to return to this wonderful country and city that I love, and meet its people once again. I am determined to challenge the stereotypes and preconceptions that people have of Arab women back in the UK and the US. I have so much to say, and I will say it, in time.”

As hard as it must have been for her to relive her experiences by writing about them, I’m glad she did. The world must know. And I hope she can return to make her documentary. Sadly, her lived experiences now support the topic she was covering.

Bikya Masr reports that there may be another anti-sexual violence rally this Friday…online organizing is happening now on Facebook. So stay tuned.