The men launched into a tirade, calling her a dirty whore and left the cafe in a hurry. A few seconds later, however, the venue's CCTV footage reportedly shows the two men turn round abruptly and one of them rush towards her and violently slap the waitress in the face, knocking her to the floor.
The whole scene was recorded by the security cameras that I transferred to the police, said the bars owner, Nacim.
In shock, the waitress didnt phone the police straight away and instead contacted the owner.
He persuaded her to file a legal complaint for voluntary violence. The two men have reportedly been identified. One of them is known to be an illegal migrant who is a notoriously threatening figure in the district, but both are currently at large.
Im so scared. I find it hard to understand. Why did they insult me? Why this slap? I feel debased, humiliated, sullied. I dont want other women to have be victims of such an attack, said the young women, herself a Muslim who observes Ramadan.
Its not because I serve alcohol that Im not fulfilling my (religious) duty, she said. I do it because Im a waitress. In Tunisia, I did the same job and never had the slightest problem, she told Nouvel Obs.
I didnt think that in France, country of liberty, I would have been assaulted like that.
She said it was not the first time she had received threats and insults from the men, who had shouted at her three days previously.
