Sexist violence 'expels' soccer player Scarlett Camberos from Mexico

Mexican soccer player Scarlett Camberos during a match in Los Angeles, in September 2022.Harry How (Getty Images)

Scarlett Camberos (Los Angeles, 22 years old) has been forced to give up her place as a women's soccer star due to sexist violence in Mexico.

Camberos lived for almost a year being persecuted and harassed by a man, José Andrés N, who meddled in her life.

The player suffered constant attacks on her privacy by the subject to the extent of driving the athlete to the country.

Camberos was hired by América at the end of 2021 after shining in college soccer in the United States, a country that has won the World Cup four times.

Since her arrival, the player began to notice that on her Twitter and Instagram accounts there was a user who constantly harassed her.

In July 2022, the player made public that this character bothered her more and more: “This boy [who called himself Andrés Hernández] continues to create false accounts of me on social networks and harass me.

This is his Instagram, I can't stand all the accounts he makes to bother me daily and today I ran into him on the way home ”.

Seven months later, all of Scarlett Camberos's networks were hacked to change part of her information and even ensure that the subject was a sentimental partner of the soccer player.

The soccer player's image agency, The Marketing Jersey, the family and his close circle asked to report the accounts altered by the subject.

The soccer player filed a complaint against the individual, identified as José Andrés N. América Femenil interceded for the player, but what they achieved was only house arrest against the harasser for 36 hours.

Other professional soccer players like Selene Valera and Jana Gutiérrez also exhibited this subject.

It was at the beginning of last March when Camberos decided to stay with her family in the United States and not return to Mexico City with América Femenil.

This Tuesday the club made her forced departure official.

The team regretted that the soccer player "has to leave the country due to the digital violence of which she is a victim" and sent a message to the Mexican authorities: "We urge the federal Congress and those of the States to legislate to eradicate violence against women , including digital.

Violence against women in Mexico yields alarming figures: every day at least 10 women are murdered on average, 95% of feminicides go unpunished and in 2021 alone, 70% of women experienced at least one incident of violence over the years. throughout his life, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).

Psychological violence predominates in Mexico with 51.6%, followed by sexual violence (49.7%) and physical violence (34.7%).

Up to 9.7 million women over the age of 12 were victims of cyberbullying.

Not far from the case of Camberos is that of the journalist Marion Reimers, the first Hispanic to narrate a Champions League final, who every time she narrates is subjected to a wave of digital violence for the simple fact of not fitting in with the supposed canons. of the commentators in Mexico.

"It is inadmissible that after months of proven harassment, the attacks continue unpunished," said the Mexican club after the Camberos case.

“I am immensely grateful for all the support provided by the club during this difficult situation - lawyers, protection, advice, among others - but above all the many expressions of affection and solidarity on the part of the coaching staff, teammates and fans.

I sincerely hope that things change in Mexico so that no woman suffers what I had to live, ”Scarlett Camberos wrote in her farewell.

Liga MX also expressed solidarity by reiterating the "commitment to the soccer players and team members."

"Together we continue working on the protocol that reinforces prevention mechanisms and tools in search of safe spaces on and off the pitch."

The soccer player has to hope that Angel City in the United States, founded by actress Natalie Portman and Serena Williams, can sign her and continue playing.

The

shows the open wounds of a country that has not yet managed to corner violence against women.

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