Kirkuk police investigating mall guards who beat a woman for alleged theft

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kirkuk police detained three mall guards after a video posted on social media platforms showed them beating up a woman in a mall in Kirkuk on Friday night for allegedly stealing from a store and damaging the property’s goods. 

Kirkuk police spokesperson Amer Muheidin told Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamadin on Saturday that “the detainees confessed to their crimes” during the investigations.

“The woman was inside and was stealing from the store, and the employees found out and confiscated her items, after which she caused chaos,” the spokesperson said, adding that the police force are awaiting orders from the judiciary before taking further measures. 

The suspects blamed the woman for stealing from the store and said that she proceeded to damage goods in the mall after being interrogated and asked to open her bag, according to Muheidin. 

The woman in the video can be seen smashing goods on the floor after being questioned by security and subsequently throwing items from the store’s shelves on the floor, after which she was beaten outside the store by the three security guards. 

Judicial authorities in Kirkuk issued arrest warrants for the guards after the beating of the woman was recorded on video, the spokesperson added.

Gender-based violence remains a serious problem in Iraq with the country’s constitution having no specific law that deals with violence against women.