France has been left shocked by video of a woman being brutally hit by a man who verbally abused her.
Marie Laguerre, 22, posted on Facebook security footage from outside a café showing a man chasing her down and hitting her in the face.
She said in the post the man followed her while making dirty comments and whistling.
Eventually she lost her patience and told him to "shut up" and even though she doesn't think he heard her the man attacked her.
First he threw an ashtray across the café and then he followed her and hit her face so hard she stumbled into tables at the café.
"I was in pain, but it happened in a few seconds so I did not realise it right away," she said.
Bystanders at the café defended Ms Laguerre and one of them dragged a chair over to the man and confronted him.
The video of the incident has over a million views and thousands of people have commented to support Ms Laguerre.
"How terrifying! I hope you are ok and he was jailed," one commenter wrote.
"This behaviour is completely unacceptable and must stop," another said.
Outrage over the video has even reached the Government, with French equalities minister Marlene Schiappa saying while the incident angered her she was not surprised by it.
"The political response must be strong and it is, because, for the first time in France, we will fine those responsible for street harassment," she said.
The French government voted through a law making street harassment illegal in May. It imposes stiff fines on those caught following or threatening women on the street.
Ms Schiappa says offenders will start receiving fines during the northern hemisphere's autumn.
Newshub.
