No apology for topless woman groped at music festival as she experiences further abuse
The young topless woman who was groped at a New Zealand music festival said she is yet to receive an apology from the young man filmed touching her breast.
Madeline Anello-Kitzmiller was wearing glitter art on her chest at the Rhythm and Vines festival in Gisborne when a man was filmed sneaking up behind her and touching her.
Footage of the incident shared on Facebook shows the man quickly retreating to his spot on a hill among friends before Ms Anello-Kitzmiller and her friend Kiri-Ann Hatfield react, pouring a drink over him and landing several blows to his head.
The 20-year-old American at the centre of the footage said she had since learned of the man's identity but is yet to receive an apology from him.
The Portland student said the man responsible made a half-hearted apology at the time, but was laughing alongside his friends after being confronted.
"It wasn't sincere at all…I had no idea who he was…he just hid his face," she told the NZ Herald.
Despite receiving a string of abuse online herself, with comments suggesting she "deserved" what happened, Ms Anello-Kitzmiller remains reluctant to name and shame the man on the Internet.
"Comments like 'she way asking for it' are promoting rape culture in that people see that and hear justification and violating a human's respect and right to feel safe in their own skin," she told the Daily Mail.
Ms Anello-Kitzmiller said there was a lot of built-up anger in the lead up to the groping following ongoing harassment throughout the festival.
"I stand by my actions and hope that I've inspired women to feel comfortable in their bodies, no matter how they look, and to stick up for themselves when anybody says otherwise or tries to deny you the right to protect your own body."
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She insists she has no remorse for her choice of outfit, adding that she refused to cover up following the ordeal.
The incident is yet to be reported to police.
