A woman has revealed she was left with whiplash and cuts to her hand after a man reportedly “body slammed” her to the ground on a canal path in east London.
Ayla Mellek was walking along Mile End canal with a friend when she claims a man ran into her with such force she was knocked down, despite him having “space on the path to pass freely.”
Metropolitan Police has said a 38-year-old man from Whitechapel has been arrested on suspicion of common assault in relation to the alleged attack on Ms Mellek.
The 20-year-old marketer told the BBC she was close to falling in the water but was grateful to have missed dangerous items such as glass and metal when she fell.
After the alleged attack on May 4, Ms Mellek took to TikTok to share her story, where she said she received hundreds of comments from people — many of whom were other women.
In the video, Ms Mellek can be heard saying: “Please if you’re in London you need to be so careful because I just got assaulted today in broad daylight.”
One person commented on Ms Mellek’s TikTok saying: “This happened to me in London on Sunday. The loser changed his jogging route to come right at me. I moved but he swerved to body slam me. I managed to stay on my feet but it was so painful.”
Another person said: “Happened to me on the underground. A guy was running toward me, turned my body to let him pass and he bumps right into me. Full force. Damaged my shoulder. No apology.”
Another added: “I’ve had similar experiences, not as violent, but men walking into me VERY deliberately on the street. It's a power dynamic.”
Ms Mellek said she fears these incidents have the potential to escalate.
A spokesperson for Met Police said the man who has been arrested is also under investigation over an incident in which a 60-year-old man was allegedly pushed while walking along Commercial Road, Bethnal Green, and fell into nearby parked car on April 2.
Acting Det Ch Supt Brittany Clarke said: "We are very aware of the concern this has caused in the local community.
“While we have a man in custody, local officers will continue to patrol around the canal and surrounding areas."
