Oxford University student Jeanne Marie Ryan was attacked after she confronted a man for groping her on the dance floor without her permission at a bar in the city centre last weekend. Today, she's sparked a huge debate on social media by joining the #nomakeupselfie movement and posting a picture of her injuries to raise awareness of sexual harrasment.
Jeanne was punched seven times, knocked to the floor and now has a broken nose and a lacerated chin after refusing to ignore the guy's actions. 'I was groped from behind all of a sudden [and] he told me to smile immediately after he did it,' Jeanne explained. 'I responded with "It is completely unacceptable to touch women like that." I think he had not been expecting someone to say anything to him... I fell over after the first three or four [punches] but got back up and I think it enraged him further that I hadn't been knocked out.'
She spent the night in hospital being treated for her injuries and then, determined to defy her attacker, she decided to post the picture - also starting a charity donations page on Facebook. Since posting the picture on Sunday, Jeanne has raised £8,000 for the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre.
Natalie Brook, from OSARCC, said the centre has been ‘overwhelmed’ by the response to the photo and thanked Jeanne for bravely sharing her experience.
So far, the police have still not found Jeanne’s attacker, who’s been described as about 5ft 7in tall with olive skin and dark hair. But Jeanne insists that posting the selfie has helped her regain the power: ‘I don't regret saying what I said. I don't regret standing up for myself or anyone who's ever been groped like that.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.