Statement Condemning a Sexual Assault Committed by a Member of the Lebanese General Security Against a Syrian Child

The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR) strongly condemns the heinous attack that circulated on social media on 26 March 2025, through a video showing a sexual assault perpetrated in a public place by a member of the Lebanese General Security against a six-year-old girl of Syrian nationality. The identified perpetrator of the crime has since been arrested and is currently under investigation.

This incident highlights the sexual violations perpetrated against Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Syrian refugees, particularly young women and girls who are perceived to be vulnerable, are subjected to various forms of violence and sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Due weak legal protections - resulting from the lack of access to legal residency or identity documentation- the inability to access various forms of legal recourse against these types of violations, and a general atmosphere of impunity and racism, Syrian refugees are often unable to use existing legal mechanisms to bring perpetrators of these types of violations to justice.

ACHR emphasizes the urgent need to protect refugee children from sexual violence and sexual assault and calls for the effective prevention of such crimes and the implementation of existing laws that outlaw sexual violence and requires the imposition of strict penalties on the security officer involved in this case to ensure accountability, justice and deter impunity.

ACHR calls on the Lebanese authorities to:

- Investigate the member of the Lebanese General Security involved in the incident and ensure that the video is taken off social media to protect the victim identity.

- Implement law 205 that criminalizes sexual harassment and work on imposing aggravated punishment in cases of harassment of a minor.

- Take all necessary measures to expedite judicial proceedings and prevent impunity and ensure that the case is brought to an independent and impartial judiciary.

- Ensure prompt action by the Lebanese Juvenile Justice System, in accordance with Law No. 422, in cases of assaults against refugee children, and enforce appropriate protective measures.

- Uphold international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), regarding the protection of children from all forms of violence, injury, abuse (physical or mental), maltreatment, or exploitation, including sexual abuse.

- Ensure that there are secure reporting mechanisms that allow victims of such crimes to be able to anonymously report sexual violence when it is committed to competent authorities.