Public administration employees held a demonstration on Thursday outside the Justice Palace in solidarity with employee Manale Daou.
Protestors stressed the necessity of dealing with the matter in a legal and judicial manner in order to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.
Justice Palace employee Manale Daou recounted on Tuesday (October 21) to Justice Minister Achraf Rifi details of the assault that took place on Monday (October 20) against her at the hands of former minister and incumbent MP Nicolas Fattouch.
The incident had gone viral on social media platforms, where activists and citizens expressed their anger at Fattouch, voicing solidarity with Daou, mainly since the same MP previously submitted a draft law to extend the parliament's mandate by 31 months, following the 17-month extension in 2013.
“I was sitting behind my desk when (Fattouch), whom I didn't recognize, entered and asked where he could file a complaint. I directed him to where lawyers can submit their complaints and to where citizens can do so,” Daou told Rifi.
"At that point, the MP placed a paper on my desk," she added.
“I was finishing another complaint in order to take care of his complaint, and as I was looking at the paper, he told me, 'you are a woman without any morals',” Daou said.
“I looked at him with surprise and told him three times, 'Excuse me, why are you addressing me in such manner and who are you?'” she said.
“At that moment, his bodyguard entered the place and told me, 'Minister Fattouch',” Daou explained.
According to several media reports, Fattouch “punched” Manal on the neck and tried to press on with his attack before he was stopped by other employees.
“I did not tell the president (Judge) Claude (Karam) that he tried to beat me up,” Daou tells Rifi in a video that was leaked to media.
To watch Foutoun Raad's report, please click on the video above.
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