Sulaimani police detains 16 over attacking girl at motorcycle stunt show

Footages of a girl being kicked by a male participant in the show have dominated Kurdish social media networks, sparking an outcry over the treatment of the woman.

Detainees are lined up at Sulaimani Police station, Dec. 31, 2022. (Photo: Sulaimani Police)
Detainees are lined up at Sulaimani Police station, Dec. 31, 2022. (Photo: Sulaimani Police)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kicking a girl at a motorcycle stunt show in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province on Friday has led to the arrest of 16 people, the city’s police announced.

Footages of a girl being kicked by a male participant in the show have dominated Kurdish social media networks, sparking an outcry over the treatment of the woman at the sporting event. 

At least 16 young boys have been arrested since Friday in connection to the attack, Sarkawt Ahmed, the spokesperson for Sulaimani Police announced on Saturday in a presser.

Knives, machetes, and knuckledusters of the detainees were also confiscated, according to the official.

They confessed that they had taken part in the attack, he added.

Motorbike riders gather on weekly basis in the area for stunting, which used to include female participants until organizers of the sport's event had decided recently to not allow women. 

The girl joined the crowd on Friday, causing a fight between the organizers over her participation. She was later attacked by a number of boys, according to the footage Kurdistan 24 has reviewed. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) strongly condemned the attack, asking the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We consider this incident as a violation of the most basic human rights,” Khanzad Ahmed, the head of the High Council for Women and Development, said in reaction to the incident.