What happened: A woman who has been identified as Nina Jane Patel from London is quoted by Vice News as, “Within 60 seconds of joining Facebook’s Metaverse, I was verbally and sexually harassed.” Subsequently, she alleged that 3-4 male avatars, with male voices, gang-raped her avatar and took its photos. The 43-year-old mother further stated, “As I tried to get away, they yelled; Don’t pretend you didn’t love it and go rub yourself off to the photo.”
Details: It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first incident of alleged rape in the metaverse as in December, a beta tester alleged that her avatar was groped and assaulted. However, Nina Jane further added in her interview with VICE, “It was surreal and it was a nightmare.” Nina is a psychotherapist and conducts her research on the metaverse was left shocked after the incident.
More: Nina Jane Patel, the London-based mother, is further quoted by Independent UK, “Virtual reality has essentially been designed so the mind and body can’t differentiate digital experiences from real.” On the other hand, the Metaverse spokesperson is quoted by Independent UK as, “We are sorry to hear about what happened. The place should be safe, and we are committed to building it that way. We will continue to make improvements as we learn more about how people interact in these spaces..”
