نشرت «أخبار الساحة» في 21 آذار 2023 تحذيراً عن المتحرش المتسلسل جيمي كاتيني، مالك حانة «كارما» في مار مخايل. بعدها، تواصلت معنا عشرات من النساء للتأكيد على الخبر ومشاركة تجربتهن. وقد اخترنا بعض هذه الشهادات لنشرها.
وفيما لا يمكننا إلا أن نستهجن ونستغرب بقاء كاتيني حراً، رغم شيوع سيرته الإجرامية، تحرشاً واغتصاباً، ندعو مجدداً إلى تجنب حانته، ونبقي المجال مفتوحاً لكل الراغبات بتسجيل شهاداتهن، مع تعهدنا التام بالحفاظ على المجهولية.
1
من سبع سنين رحت أنا ورفقاتي ع كارما، عرفني ع جيمي كاتيني صديق مشترك. بلش بالسهرة يتقرب مني وخبرني إنو هو موسيقي كمان، واقترح انو نصير نقضي وقت مع بعض لأنو عنا ذات الاهتمامات. كان عمري 21 سنة. أخد رقمي وبعد فترة عزمني ع كارما. وقلي اجي لحالي نقدر نتعرف ع بعض أكتر.
كان بيتي بعيد 5 دقائق من مار مخايل. رحت لهونيك وضيفني درينكس. وبعدين بلش يتقرب مني بطريقة جنسية وصار يقلي انو مبينة مزعوجة وانو لازم استرخي.
بعدها بشوي، مسكلي ايدي وسحبني بالقوة ع الطابق الثاني يلي حد المطبخ. وقلي انو بدو شوية خصوصية. دفشني عالحيط وثبتلي ايدي وشلحني بنطلوني بايدو التانية. جربت اهرب بعدين بطلت قادرة اتنفس من ورا الصدمة. اعتدى علي. ومن بعدها طلع حدا من الموظفين من المطبخ فقدرت اهرب.
أخد معي وقت كتير حتى اقدر افهم شو صار. بهالوقت صار جيمي يتصرف كأن ما صار شي وضل يبعتلي مسجات ويعزمني ع الشاليه لعندو. عملتلو بلوك ع كل المحلات وما رجعت رحت أبداً لهونيك. بتمنى كتير انو هالشخص يتعاقب ع كل الاشيا يلي عملها وبعدو عم يعملها.
2
من 12 سنة وكان عمري 19، أول ما نزلت سكنت ببيروت كرمال الجامعة، ما كنت بسهر وبشرب، كان في صبية ساكنة معي عزمتني على محل بالحمرا، كان على سطوح أوتيل روتانا. بس وصلنا لهونيك، عرّفتني عليه (جيمي كاتيني)، واجا قعد معنا وصار ينزللنا shots.
بعد شوي سكرت، وبطلت شايفة قدامي، قام جرّني من إيدي وأخدني ورا المحل وصار بدو يحاول يبوسني وأنا شيلو عني، آخر شي رجعت قدرت أهرب ع الطاولة بصعوبة، رجع لحقني وأصرّ يوصّلني ع البيت بس ما كنت أقبل. رجعت ع البيت، أخد رقمي من الصبية وضل ع فترة يبعتلي ويتحرّش فيني. كل يوم يبعتلي ابعتيلي صور إلك وحكي بلا طعمة، بالآخر بهدلته وما بقى رديت وفقد الأمل.
3
بأول تشرين التاني 2022، رحت مع رفقاتي ع كارما لنحتفل بعيد رفيقتنا. نحن وهونيك كان في نادلين عم يبرموا حول الطاولة وكانوا لابسين ماسك لأن كان هالوين. صاروا يجربوا يرقصوا مع رفقاتي بالقوة، ما كنا منتبهين شو عم بصير لحد ما اجت رفيقتي خبرتنا انو في واحد مننن مسكها من خصرها وصدرها.
رحت عند السكيورتي وخبرتن شو صار. اجا معنا رئيس الأمن بس النادلين صاروا يقولوا انو ما عملوا شي. طلبت من رئيس الأمن انو يتصل بالمدير (جيمي كاتيني)، وقال انو ح يطرد النادل يلي عمل هيك، بس ما رجع طردن وعرفت من صديقة مشتركة انو المدير قلها انو يلي صار شي عادي ونحن بالغنا بردة فعلنا.
4
كنت طالعة ع الحمام، وهو (جيمي كاتيني) كان نازل، فصار يعمل انو هو عم يجرب يمرق كرمال يدقرني. كان صعبة اتحرك لأن الدرج ضيق وما كنت عم اقدر ارجع، فصار يتضحك وضل عم بمماطل حتى يضل يدقرني. آخر الشي قلتلوا شو قصتك؟ فرجع يتضحك كأن ما عمل شي.
5
أنا وصديقتي كنا ضحاياه، صار (جيمي كاتيني) يضيفنا shots، وأنا متأكدة كان فيهن شي، لأنه نحن بنشرب كل يوم وما بصير معنا يلي صار، ويلي أكدلنا إنو مزبوط حط شي بالمشروبات إنه غمز البارتندر. بعد ما أخدنا الـshots.
صرنا بدنا نروح ع البيت وما كان يقبل نفل، ما بعرف كيف قدرنا هربنا. قطعت على خير وشكراً إنو عم تفضحوه، لازم هالشي يوقّف، لأنه في كتير مراهقات بضلوا عنده وما بيسأل لا عن بطاقة شخصية ولا عن غيرها.
6
أنا مبسوطة لأن عم تحكو عن هالشي. مرة باسني (جيمي كاتيني) بالقوة وبهدلته بالبار وانجبر يعتذر مني. بس هالاعتذار ما بيعفي من شو عمل معي ومع غير بنات. ما في داعي خبركن انو سامعة عنو قصص ما بتنعد، وسامعة انو مغتصب كذا بنت. وهو مرة خبرني انو عنده علاقات قوية مع سياسيين، يمكن من هيك بعدو ما تحاسب.
Testimonies about the serial harasser Jimmy Cattini
On March 21, 2023, Akhbar Al-Saha published a warning about the serial harasser Jimmy Cattini, owner of Karma, a bar in Mar mkhayel. Consequently, dozens of women contacted us confirming the news and sharing their experiences. We have selected some of their testimonies for publication.
And while we can only yearn and be startled that he still remains free, despite his prevalent criminal history of harassment and rape, we again call for avoiding his bar, and we keep the way open for all women wishing to put their testimonies forward, with our thorough commitment to preserving anonymity.
1
Seven years ago, my friends and I went to Karma and a common friend introduced me to Jimmy Cattini. During the evening, he approached me and told me that he is also a musician, and suggested that we spend time together since we have the same interests. I was 21 years old. He took my number, and after a while invited me to Karma. He asked me to come alone so we can get to know each other more. My house was 5 minutes away from Mar mkhayel. I went there and he gave me drinks for free. He then started to come closer to me in a sexual way, telling me that I seemed upset and that I needed to relax.
A while later, he grabbed my hands and dragged me to the second floor, next to the kitchen saying that he needed some privacy. He pushed me against the wall, held my hands, and pulled my pants with his other hand. I tried to run away, but I couldn’t breathe because of the shock. He assaulted me. After that, one of the employees came out of the kitchen, and that’s how I was able to run off.
It took me a long time to actually understand what had happened. By this time, Jimmy was acting as if nothing had happened, and he kept sending me messages and inviting me to his chalet. I blocked him everywhere and never went back there. I very much wish that this person would be punished for all the things he has done and is still doing.
2
12 years ago, when I was 19 years old when I first moved to Beirut, because of the university, I wasn’t someone who would stay up late and drink. A girl who lived with me once invited me to a place in Hamra, on the rooftop of the Rotana Hotel. When we got there, she introduced me to him (Jimmy Cattini). He came to sit with us and started getting us shots.
After a while I drank alot and became blind drunk. He pulled me by my hands, took me behind the place and attempted to kiss me while I was pushing him away from me. At the end, and with difficulty, I was able to run back to the table. He followed me back and insisted on driving me home, but I didn’t accept. He took my number from the girl and kept on texting me and harassing me for a while. On a daily basis, he used to ask me to send him my pictures and text me in immoral ways. At the end I scolded him and stopped replying until he lost hope.
3
On the first of November 2022, I went with my friends to Karma to celebrate our friend’s birthday. While we were there, the waiters were going around our table all the time. They were wearing masks because it was Halloween. They later on tried to dance with my friends by force. We were unaware of what was going on until my friend came and told us that one of the waiters grabbed her from her waist and chest.
I went to the security and told them about what had happened and the head of security accompanied us back, but the waiters started claiming that they hadn’t done anything. I asked the head of security to call the manager (Jimmy Cattini), who said that he would expel those waiters. He did not do that though, and I was told by a mutual friend that the manager told her that what had happened was normal and that we overreacted.
4
I was going up to the bathroom, and he (Jimmy Cattini) was coming downstairs when he started acting as if he was trying to pass by in order to touch me. It was hard to move because the staircase was narrow and I wasn’t able to go backwards, so it became obvious that he kept trying to make use of more time so he could keep touching me. At the end I said what is wrong with you? So he laughed as if he had done nothing.
5
My friend and I were his victims. Jimmy Cattini kept giving us free shots, and I’m pretty sure there was something in them, because we drink every day and what we went through this time has never happened to us before. And what assures this is that after we took the shots, he winked at the bartender.
We wanted to go back home and he wouldn’t let us. I don’t know how we managed to escape. It went well afterwards, but thank you for exposing him. This must be stopped, because there are many teenage girls who are always there, and he never asks for an identity card at the door or anything.
6
I am so happy that you are talking about this thing. Once I was forcibly kissed by him (Jimmy Cattini) and I humiliated him in the bar and he was forced to apologize to me. But this apology does not excuse what he did to me and other girls. I don’t need to tell you that I’ve heard uncountable stories about him, and I’ve heard that he had raped some girls. He once told me that he has strong relations with politicians, so maybe that’s why he is still not held accountable.