February 19, 2025
SEOUL – K-pop fan communities in Mexico are rallying behind a school violence victim, demanding justice for a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly subjected to severe bullying by classmates because of her love of K-pop.
According to multiple reports from Mexico, the teen, identified as Fatima Maite, suffered a fractured pelvis from a fall from the third floor of a building on her school campus in Mexico City on Feb. 13. Reports indicate that the fall was caused by school bullies, with some reports saying that she was thrown off the building by the bullies while others said she was coerced into jumping.
A video circulating on social media shows a girl hanging from the balcony of a building and another girl pushing her off, although the victim in the video has not yet officially been confirmed to be Maite herself.
The victim’s father claimed that the school ignored his daughter’s previous reports about violence against her, which led to the escalation that resulted in her injury. He claimed that his daughter was thrown off the building and at least three people participated in the attack.
The Mexican police have launched an investigation into the matter and confirmed that the father has officially reported the incident as a case of school violence.
The South Korean Embassy in Mexico joined the ongoing movement on social media demanding justice for the harassment and violence against Fatima.
“We join in condemning the attacks, harassment and school #Bullying that Fatima suffered because of her preference for #KPop #Hallyu #KoreanCulture,” it posted in Spanish on its official X account.
K-pop fans in Mexico are condemning the violence with the hashtag “#JusticeForFatima.” Some K-pop fan groups, including BTS Army, vowed to carry out activities against bullying and raise funds for the victim’s family.