Assaulted by a Male Co-worker for No Reason

by MW
(Egypt)

This is my first time posting here. I am a female employee in my late 30s. Have been in work field for almost 16 years. I faced many work mobbing unlike my school and uni days where life was more normal.

I live in Egypt and for those who don't know many women now work almost in all fields excelling on many levels. Yet still men culture is behind in various aspects. From all mobbing stories that I survived and even won some there stands the worst experience with a male co-worker.

He moved to our department 6 years ago and many people know he comes from a low cultural background with a problematic history of vulgarity and altercations with some colleagues that he managed to escape consequences because of some appeasement and doing dirty work for others.

At first he was ok with me and almost well but gradually I noticed an attitude of disrespect growing gradually towards me. The main reason was another female bully co-worker who likes to pick at certain females sometimes and dominate male co workers to be her serving boys. I noticed he would try to use inappropriate language or implications with me to the point of making fun of me or speaking disrespectfully and look at her immediately to beg for her laughs!

I spoke directly to him in objection in a nice way and he would apologise promising not to do it again but he never stopped his unacceptable behaviour, till once I asked him firmly not to cross the line with me again. He became very aggressive cutting the talk, deleting me from Facebook, throwing dirty side talk about me without mentioning my name to provoke me. Till once he almost pushed me at the corridor while walking!

I complained to my boss and he warned him—in a soft way. He quit for a while till once he tried to throw some remarks with another colleague about me which made me look directly towards him to see what he was talking about. He started yelling and threatening me not to look at him or he'll hurt me in front of my colleagues whom all stayed silent! I warned him to keep a distance. He formed his hand as a grip in the air in a threat of a punch!

Few hours same day he intended to pass and block my way in the corridor till he touched in a no space with me in an unacceptable way to push me from his way! I told him to keep a distance and stop this nonsense! That's when it escalated!

He turned towards me cursed then ran towards me ramming his head and body at me pushing me! Some female co-workers tried to push me from his way while he continued cursing! I went to the Human Resources department who intended to ignore my complaints. To his ignorance I went to the camera room and showed me the incident and other 2 incidents after this physical altercation where he also physically pushed me and tried to knock my mobile!

Head of our department (male) forced me to stop complaining that he even worked with him and other security officers (males) behind my back to erase the recordings and I ended up with no evidence! I had to make a story that I got the incident on my mob cam and will file a case of harassment against him which terrified him for a while making him avoid me in corridors.

He moved to another building—based on his wish—feeling triumphant and some co-workers warned me that he wants to come after me in revenge in a place with no cameras once making sure there is no evidence against him.

I am replying on time to heal from this and I will not go on how people say remarks that he was able to do that co he knew I am a peaceful girl which gave a green light for him to do so. In a working environment of male favoring that men will do anything to protect a fellow man's reputation and work on the expense of another female co-worker!

Thank you for giving me and others this space to tell our hurtful experience.