Rape And Murder Of Iranian Teen Triggers Public Rage

The release of a BBC World report detailing the violent death of teenager Nika Shakarami, a key figure in Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom uprising, has fueled a new wave of public outrage in Iran.

The report, revealing that Shakarami, 16, was sexually assaulted and killed by members of the Islamic Republic's security forces amid the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in morality-police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Shakarami's death followed last year.

According to the report, BBC World accessed a "highly confidential" document showing that three security personnel were directly involved in the sexual assault and murder of Shakarami.

The document, based on statements from the security forces, includes names of the perpetrators and senior commanders who concealed the details of the crime. It describes how one officer physically restrained Shakarami, while she resisted, ultimately provoking a brutal response with batons.

Amid the peak of the uprising, over 550 protesters were killed by Iran's security forces with Iran's Me Too movement finding that sexual abuse is systematically used against women, until today.