By Marijke van der Meer, Radio Netherlands

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One of our most fundamental rights is the right to privacy, the right to solitude and anonymity, the right to be left alone, in a space of our own. Privacy begins with physical integrity. It can be a matter of life-and-death. Take the case of 22-year-old Senait Ketema from Ethiopia. In her country, stalkers tend to be seen simply as love-struck suitors, but in Senait’s case, her ‘suitor’ turned out to be a predator.

“I knew him from tenth grade. He was a taxi driver at the time, he introduced himself and we became acquainted. But he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I refused. He insisted, but I said no. He said he knew I didn’t love him and said he would do something about that. He knew where I lived from the start, and he would follow me. He said if I couldn’t be his, he would spoil my face.”

In spite of these threats, Senait did not talk to the authorities, not even to friends and family, because she didn’t take his threats serious. Then one day two years ago, he came to her house, said he wanted to talk, and insisted once again she should be his girlfriend. “And then he took acid out of his pocket, threw it on my face and the rest on my shoulder, and ran away.”

Senait has been seriously burned and scarred by the acid attack. Her assailant has been tried and jailed for the attack, but not for the stalking. The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association is advocating a specific law that would make stalking illegal.