Nadine Njeim shares a disturbing situation with her fans.

A painful harassment incident involving a number of first-grade students at the Sacred Hearts High School in Ain Najm sparked widespread anger after it occurred during a school trip to the Vere Bleu Park gym in Daychounieh.

Harassment on a school trip sparks anger among parents in Lebanon

The shock was compounded by the fact that the attacker was a Zip Line trainer, and it later emerged that he was a new, underage employee on a temporary contract. The school administration quickly notified the relevant authorities, while the Internal Security Forces (ISF) successfully identified and arrested the perpetrator in cooperation with the judiciary, after reviewing surveillance cameras and hearing the victims' testimonies.

Nadine Nassib Njeim: “I am a mother and I am scared. I don’t go in the elevator with anyone.”

Amid the public tension sparked by the incident, Nadine Nassib Njeim highlighted the growing sense of insecurity through a personal video she posted on Snapchat. She recounted an incident she experienced in an elevator at a sports club, where a delivery man tried to share the elevator with her and asked her personal questions in a way that confused her. In another clip, Nadine said in a touching voice:

“I am a mother with children, and I am old, but I am still afraid… I do not like to go up in the elevator with anyone. I am worried about the whole world.” Her personal experience resonated widely, opening up a discussion about the anxiety women experience in supposedly safe public spaces.

Calls for tighter control within recreational facilities and schools

Authorities responded quickly to the issue, but the incident opened deeper wounds regarding the preparedness of educational institutions and recreational facilities to ensure the safety of children. Public debate is no longer limited to the details of the incident, but has expanded to include demands from parents for tighter oversight of staff and stricter hiring standards, especially when it comes to activities for children. Activists also called for a review of the school field trip system, in terms of oversight and supervision, and ensuring the presence of qualified personnel trained to deal with children sensitively and responsibly.