A fan made his way past TwitchCon security and grabbed streamer Emiru during a meet and greet event over the weekend.
Now, she and other streamers are calling out Twitch after her own security had to step in to protect her.
What happened to Emiru at TwitchCon?
In a video shared to X, a man approaches streamer Emiru on stage during her TwitchCon meet-and-greet and puts his arms around her. He moves his face forward forcibly, trying to kiss the streamer without her consent.
In the footage, Emiru's security is seen quickly jumping in and chasing the man off the stage.
In a statement posted to X, Twitch condemned the fan's actions and said that it has banned him from all online and in-person Twitch events.
The company claimed that law enforcement and event security stepped in during the incident.
"In line with existing TwitchCon security protocols, law enforcement and event security were on site and responded to the incident. We immediately blocked this individual from returning to the TwitchCon premises, and they are banned indefinitely from Twitch, both online and in-person events. We are coordinating with the impacted creator’s team and, per our standard protocols, continue to cooperate with any law enforcement investigations."
However, Emiru calls out Twitch, calling the statement a "blatant lie" in her own X post.
"I'm obviously shaken up by what happened, and it's not the first time I've dealt with something like this, but to tell you honestly, I am a lot more hurt and upset by how Twitch handled it during and after the fact," she said.
"There were at least 3 or 4 other Twitchcon security staff in the area who did not react and let the guy walk away, as you can see in the clip since they don't even appear in the frame LOL," she writes. "None of the Twitchcon staff came to ask what happened or if I was okay."
Her post continues: "In Twitch's statement, they said that the guy was immediately caught and detained. I'm sorry, but that is a blatant lie. He was allowed to walk away from my meet and greet, and I didn't hear he was caught until hours after he attacked me, and it felt like this only happened because of my manager pressing for it, not because Twitchcon staff present thought it was a big deal."
Twitch streamers react to the incident
In a later stream, Emiru reacted to what had occurred. She suggests that Twitch would not have posted a statement if the clip of the attack had not gone viral on X.
"I don't think that Twitch would have put out an official statement if that clip wasn't posted and going viral," she said.
Other popular streamers shared safety concerns prior to the event and decided to sit this year's TwitchCon out. Many cited concerns about releasing their location to fans.
In the days since the assault happened at TwitchCon, many streamers have weighed in. Popular streamer Ludwig called the situation "insane."
Streamer Valkyrae called it "incredibly disappointing."
Hasan Piker reacted over the weekend during his Saturday stream, declaring, "women have it the worst on the internet." He called it "a constant part of this medium," saying he doesn't "even know what kind of legislation we can pass to try and stop it."
Piker went on to respond to a commenter in the chat who asked what the punishment for attacking Emiru should be. He replied, "Jail, brother, what do you mean? Sexual assault equals jail."
Later in the weekend, Emiru roasted Twitch's lack of security at an official event.
How did fans react to Emiru and Twitch's response?
In response to Emiru's statement on X, fans and fellow streamers call out how Twitch handled creator safety at the event. Many point to other streamers' concerns leading up to the event.
"I’m so sorry you went through this.. It’s awful that TwitchCon safety concerns were an issue even before the event, but they still didn’t take it seriously. I’m so glad you’re okay, and I hope they learn from this," one writes.
"I am so sorry that this situation was even allowed to happen in the first place. Connecting with fans is important but your safety should always be top priority. It’s frustrating that your earlier concerns weren’t taken into account at all," another says.
"I'm so sorry you had to be put through this Emi, I'm just glad you're safe.. it's insane and scary that they aren't doing more to protect their creators even after the fact. Wishing you the best," a third adds.
The Daily Dot reached out to Emiru and Twitch for further comment.
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