A viral video on social media (here, here, here, and here) shows a man violently assaulting a woman on a staircase, lifting and dragging her by the hair while she appears helpless. The post is being shared with claims that the man is Muslim, the woman is Hindu, and the incident took place in India. Let’s verify the claim made in the post in this article.
Claim: The video shows a Muslim man violently assaulting a Hindu woman on a staircase in India.
Fact: The video does not show a Muslim man violently assaulting a Hindu woman on a staircase in India. The incident is unrelated to India and is from Colombia. On 08 August 2025, in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, the accused, identified as Steven Riascos, sexually assaulted and physically attacked a woman named Xiomara, who received medical and psychological treatment. Riascos was arrested on 12 August 2025 in Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, charged with attempted femicide and sexual assault, and remanded to prison. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to multiple reports (here, here) by Colombia-based media outlets featuring a screenshot from the same video, dated August 2025. According to these reports, the incident occurred on 08 August 2025, in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
The accused has been reportedly (here, here) identified as Steven Riascos, who allegedly sexually assaulted and physically attacked a young woman named Xiomara as she tried to escape. The video of the attack circulated widely, sparking national outrage and demands for justice. Xiomara received medical and psychological treatment and remained in serious condition. The assault occurred in the corregimiento de Cisneros, where Riascos reportedly pushed her to the ground and dragged her by her hair while she shouted for help. His initial evasion prompted an intense police search and a public appeal for information.
On 12 August 2025, Riascos was apprehended (here, here) in the Popular neighbourhood of Tuluá, Valle del Cauca, following a voluntary surrender after a judicial arrest warrant had been issued. He was charged with attempted femicide and sexual assault, accepted the charges in court, and was remanded to prison. Security camera footage had played a crucial role in identifying and locating him. This confirms that the incident is unrelated to India and is being shared with a false communal narrative.
To sum up, CCTV footage of a sexual assault and femicide incident from Colombia is shared, linking it to India with a false communal narrative.
