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- Mistaken for breasts: students of pickup truck driver Alex Leslie massively grope women in Moscow
Mistaken for breasts: students of pickup truck driver Alex Leslie massively grope women in Moscow
At the end of June, cases of harassment of women became more frequent in the center of Moscow. Young men, under the pretext of dating, grabbed girls by the breasts and buttocks and offered sex, and everything that happened was filmed on video. It later became clear that the violators were students of the infamous pickup truck driver Alex Leslie, who urges them to seek sex at any cost. After numerous complaints, a criminal case was opened against the coach, and his followers came under the gun of law enforcement officers. For more information about how to punish for "criminal pickup" and how women respond to it, see the Izvestia article.
Take care of the woman
Cases of harassment of young women have become more frequent in the capital. Several girls said that men approached them with offers to get to know each other, and when they refused, they turned to obscene statements and touching. Strangers grabbed the victims by the buttocks and breasts, filming it on video, and then immediately ran away.
One of the victims turned out to be 22-year-old student Polina Khokhloma, who was accosted by two men in Kitay-Gorod on June 22. The girl did not want to start communication, after which one of them moved on to physical contact.
"He came very close, stood a little behind me and took me by the buttocks. As it seemed to me, he held me for a very long time, it wasn't just a slap. He did this until I reacted. Then he turned around and went to a friend who was filming it all," the victim later shared with reporters.
Polina contacted the nearest police department. While she was there, another victim came with a similar complaint. Later, it became known about similar cases on Pokrovka, Tverskaya and Chistoprudny boulevards, near the Okhotny Ryad metro station.
"A guy in Kitay-Gorod tried to take my hand, grabbed my butt and blocked my way. He wouldn't let me pass and offered me obscene things. There were a lot of people around, so he didn't care about it. I pushed him away and sent him flying, after that I just ran forward because I was afraid he would grab me again or catch up with me," another girl told the media.
Other women reported similar situations where men acted in groups: one distracted, the other molested. It is known that there were minors among the victims. At the same time, many people note that such incidents occurred for several days in a row, and there were significantly more victims than those who decided to talk about what happened.
As it became known, the wave of mass harassment was provoked by blogger and pickup coach Alexander Kirillov, better known as Alex Leslie. In his Telegram channels, he urged men, as part of the so-called body training, to approach 30 unknown girls on the street, compliment them or offer them sex, and then start touching their private parts. According to victims, Leslie and his associates create private chats where users share videos and discuss ways of harassment.
Alex Leslie (Alexander Kirillov), accused of engaging in prostitution
On June 27, several followers of the would-be coach were detained, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Irina Volk told reporters. They turned out to be Matvey, a 21-year-old Muscovite, Denis, a 23-year-old from the Kemerovo Region, and a 31-year-old from the Tula region.
The "Guru of Seduction": Who is Alex Leslie?
Alexander Kirillov is a blogger and pickup coach, famous for his courses and trainings. As part of his programs, the 43-year-old "guru of seduction" urged men to justify their actions with made-up stories so as not to provoke resistance.
"A woman wants sex, but she wants to give herself according to the rules that are in her head. If you just touch her leg right away, she will understand that this is not according to the rules. You have an option: either seduce in a classic way, or by trickery — that is, come up with a legend about why it's okay that you're touching her now," Leslie claims in one of her videos.
In addition, the pickup truck openly called for tougher action.
"What were you supposed to do? What did I say? Come up, grab your ass and take you to the toilet," the pickup insisted in video messages on his channel, commenting on the actions of students in Moscow.
He characterizes the victims' complaints as the reaction of "girls who have problems with men," claiming that they "suffered incredible trauma" because of "some guy who tried to harass."
Earlier, the controversial blogger had already come to the attention of law enforcement agencies. In 2018, Leslie was detained in Thailand for conducting illegal sex training. After his trial and deportation to Russia, he spent some time in custody due to allegations of involvement in prostitution, but was then released under an obligation to appear.
Men need more
According to netizens, all the attackers wanted to learn the art of pickup in this way. Pickup, or pick—up, is a set of techniques and techniques aimed at getting to know and quickly seduce women. According to Oksana Vasko, a practicing psychologist and lecturer at the Imaton Institute of Practical Psychology, people do this for completely different reasons.
— Someone really wants to meet a girl and is looking for various options to fulfill this desire, including a pickup truck, while someone is trying to assert himself due to the large number of seduced women, rather than the quality of contact. In both the first and second cases, we are talking about a man's lack of self—confidence and inability to build long-term and trusting relationships," the expert tells Izvestia.
The purpose of the pickup is not to get to know each other for the sake of a relationship, but to quickly establish contact with the aim of an affair for one or more nights. Therefore, those who have problems with self-esteem also take courses on seduction, says Olesya Tolstukhina, a clinical psychologist at the Doctor Nearby medical technology company.
— Pick-up training is often attended by insecure male boys who do not understand how girls choose their partners and try to gain access to sexual relations through provocation. These are very insecure people who are susceptible to suggestion," she stressed.
According to matchmaker Anna Osipova, pickup is often given out as a kind of training, where you can hone your presentation skills in order to increase your confidence in further acquaintances.
It is known that there were no women among Alex Leslie's followers who participated in harassment in Moscow. According to VTsIOM statistics, men are more likely to take the initiative when dating, especially in an online environment. And there are several reasons for this, due to social and psychological factors.
— First of all, men are not so sensitive to rejection. Secondly, scammers who threaten security are less common among women. Women are more likely to face the risk of aggressive or inappropriate behavior, so they are less likely to initiate a dialogue without confidence in the safety of the interlocutor. In addition, it has happened over the years that men's communication strategy is often more straightforward: "write — see what happens." Women, in turn, tend to be more selective and cautious," explained Larisa Karavaytseva, chief psychologist at Twinby dating service.
Women strike back
In response to the wave of harassment, women began sharing self-defense tips on social media: they recommend barking at harassment, sending their geolocation to loved ones, and stocking up on pepper spray.
The bravest Muscovites urge to mirror the actions of male representatives and join forces to harass men.
"We will take revenge, pawing men's asses," says the alleged leader of the action. In the videos posted on social networks, it is noticeable how the ladies run up from behind to the victim, touch her by the fifth point and offer to have sex.
Alex Leslie has already responded to such a response: the blogger posted the video on his Telegram channel, stating that subscribers had shared the recording with him. The coach sharply condemned such behavior and recommended that the victims "open a criminal case against the girls, catch them and try them."
At the same time, the opinion appeared on the Network that all this was planned by Leslie himself in an attempt to whitewash himself in front of the public. It turned out that one of the protest participants had previously attended women's pickup courses and talked about them on her channel.
What threatens thrill seekers
In light of the mass complaints, the Moscow Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Alexander Kirillov under Article 131 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — "Incitement to rape." The coach faces up to six years in prison for inciting his students to harassment.
Amid the scandal, the blogger's courses and training materials began to be blocked and withdrawn from sale on online platforms. Alex Leslie himself is currently outside of Russia, and law enforcement agencies continue to work to collect evidence and bring those responsible to justice.
Martin Zarbabyan, a member of the Moscow City Bar Association, lawyer, notes that despite the fact that the legal terms "sexual harassment" or "harassment" are not fixed in current Russian legislation, in practice some such actions may become grounds for criminal punishment under Articles 131, 132 and 133 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Rape", "Harassment").Violent acts of a sexual nature" and "Coercion to violent acts of a sexual nature", respectively).
— The law does not prohibit men from getting to know women, to show some signs of attention. The key condition is that such actions should not violate a woman's rights, especially her sexual freedom and sexual integrity," the expert explains.
From a legal point of view, pick-up cannot be criminalized within the limits permitted by law, but if the method of acquaintance takes the form of various obsessive harassment and coercion, such impulses may become grounds for prosecution.
Yulia Ivanova, a consultant at the corporate welfare platform I Understand, and a lawyer, also agrees that not every attempt to start a relationship will be severely suppressed by law.
— By itself, approaching a woman on the street for the purpose of dating is not a criminal harassment, as long as he is polite and does not violate her boundaries. However, touching, "grabbing assholes" without consent is a violation of bodily integrity," the lawyer explains.
According to the expert, such rude behavior can be qualified as an insult (Article 5.61 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation), violent acts of a sexual nature (Article 132 of the Criminal Code — if the acts are sexual in nature and committed with violence or threat of violence) or indecent acts (Article 135 of the Criminal Code — if the victim is a minor).
— In the case of Leslie's students, offering to have sex in an aggressive, intrusive manner, especially when combined with touching and videotaping, creates an atmosphere of pressure and humiliation. This can be regarded as sexual harassment. In addition, if the "attacks" were accompanied by threats, this is already considered coercion to sexual acts," the speaker added.
The punishment for these crimes ranges from large fines to long prison terms, especially if there are aggravating circumstances.
How to get acquainted eco-friendly
Any way to achieve new skills, whether it's coaching, some method of action, or a pickup truck, should be presented to clients in a form that does not contradict common sense, says matchmaker Anna Osipova.
— Doctors have this belief: "Do no harm." I believe that people of all helping professions should follow this principle and not spit into their karma with such things as propaganda of anti—family values," the specialist argues.
Anna Osipova recommends getting to know each other live, as the Internet narrows down the options for correct communication and creates the illusion of choice, which does not always correspond to reality. It is also important to engage in self-development, raising the intellectual level and broadening the horizons.
The matchmaker also advises you to pay attention to how a person behaves not only with you, but also with others, to meet on neutral territory, not to immediately wait for a spark and "chemistry" — these are not the feelings that you need to draw a conclusion from.
— Look at a person, listen to them, and ask yourself one question: am I interested in getting to know them better? Does he carry positive energy? Will he enrich my life or vice versa? — says the expert.
Larisa Karavaitseva, chief psychologist at Twinby dating service, explains that eco-friendly dating is based on maturity, the ability not only to make contact, but also to leave it with dignity, as well as the ability to accept other people's boundaries and be safe.
To do this, on the recommendation of a psychologist, it is necessary:
— Remove the goal to conquer, set a goal to get to know each other.
It is better to approach not with the expectation of a response, but with a sincere interest in the other person.
— Do not show excessive pressure, start a dialogue naturally and casually.
You should not quickly switch to compliments and flirting, it is important first to assess whether the person is ready for contact here and now.
— Show that you are safe and vulnerable too.
It is necessary to respect the partner's emotional and physical distance, use an unobtrusive tone, and show an adequate response to rejection or silence.
— Be "alive", not "correct".
It is better to avoid language patterns and show humor, slight excitement, and even imperfection.
Larisa Karavaitseva also notes that when getting to know someone, you should not put them in an uncomfortable position — ask personal questions and comment on someone else's appearance at the wrong moment. Also, there is no need to try to please at any cost and devalue rejection. The main thing is to get out of the interaction in an environmentally friendly way: without pressure, jokes about pride and passive aggression.
Experts interviewed by Izvestia are confident that unwanted dating attempts should be stopped with a firm refusal, and it is not necessary to explain the reason. If the pickup continues to try to communicate, it is better to call for help or go to a safe place.
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