DAMASCUS (Dispatches) -- A 15-year-old Alawite girl was sexually assaulted in Syria’s central Hama province on October 18, according to the French broadcaster RFI, with no suspect identified and no arrest reported as of Monday.
RFI reported that the assault took place in the Hama region and that the victim belongs to the Alawite minority, a community that has faced mounting violence under the rule of former Daesh and Al-Qaeda deputy Abu Muhammad al-Jolani.  
The incident comes amid a documented pattern of violence targeting Alawite women and girls in Syria. 
A Syrian investigative committee issued a new verdict on October 16 in the case of massacres that killed at least 361 Alawites last year, but observers say prosecutions remain insufficient. 
RFI noted that crimes against Alawite civilians—including assaults, killings, and abductions—have multiplied since the former regime’s fall, often attributed to “unidentified armed men” and rarely prosecuted.
International human rights bodies have documented widespread abductions and sexual violence against Alawite women. 
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry has investigated 21 cases of abducted women, including four girls, finding that a number were subjected to sexual violence including rape and gang rape. 
The Commission reported that abductions often occurred in broad daylight in streets and markets, creating widespread fear within Alawite communities, with some women and girls stopping school attendance or adopting the hijab to avoid identification.
The Syrian Feminist Lobby has counted 80 Alawite women and girls who have disappeared since early 2025, with 26 cases confirmed as kidnappings. The United Nations has documented 38 abductions of Alawite women and girls, according to a report cited by Syrian rights organizations.
Authorities in Jolani’s takfiri regime have faced criticism for their response. The Commission of Inquiry found that official responses varied between opening limited investigations and discouraging families from pursuing or publicizing cases, with security officials in some instances threatening victims to prevent them from continuing legal action. 
In two cases, victims were re-arrested after release and subjected to investigations on charges related to public morality.
A Jolani security source from the Hama region administration told the outlet Blinx that medical examination showed no sexual assault had occurred, and that the incident involved the girl being lured out, with a young man and an intermediary woman arrested. 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported the case as a sexual assault and called for an independent investigation.