The sexual assault of a disabled Kurdish woman near the Altun Kupri checkpoint in northern Iraq cast a shadow on relations between ethnic groups in the region and raised concern among women's groups who fear that sexual assaults are increasing in the region.

The victim, whose name has not been publicized and whose face is blurred in media reports, is a 40-year-old woman who is mentally handicapped. Though she has been moved to a shelter in Erbil according to Kirkuk news outlets, she lived with her husband in Altun Kupri, a town also known as Prde on the Kirkuk-Erbil border. Her husband, a Turkmen, is also disabled and in his 70s. 

The rape occurred on April 1 and became notorious because the men who assaulted the woman filmed the crime and posted the video on Facebook. The footage shows a policeman and another man believed to be a member of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). The fact that the two are Turkmens has brought an ethnic dimension to the case.

Massoud Barzani, head of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said in an April 10 statement that the crime had tarnished the dignity of all Kurds. He called on the Iraqi federal government as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to conduct a total and joint investigation. The Kurdish Regional Parliament also called for a quick and efficient inquiry into the assault.