‘People could be really cruel’: Woman who survives bite attack speaks out about online harassment

A woman who survived having a chunk of her forehead bitten off by a stranger said she is now being attacked by strangers online.

Diana Gonzalez is still recovering after police said Kamilia Chadli hurled insults, spat, and then bit Gonzalez on her forehead.

Since the attack on Sept. 18, Gonzalez’s recovery has not been easy, and online criticism has not been helping.

“Like I didn’t think for sure like she would bite a piece of my head off,” Gonzalez said.

She says she doesn’t understand the victim-blaming directed her way.

“I somewhat felt blamed,” Gonzalez said. “I somewhat felt as though people were like, why does she even do that? How did she let her get that close?”

Gonzalez says cruel comments have been made about her appearance.

“Someone was on there saying that it looked like I had like a certain disease or something and like thyroid problems and other things like that,” Gonzalez said.

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More than a week after her horrific incident, Gonzalez returned to work remotely on Monday, but she said life has not been the same since she allegedly crossed paths with Kamilia Chadli near 3rd Avenue and Marion Street.

“I stopped at a red light, and I saw someone that resembled her, and I just felt really uncomfortable in that situation,” Gonzalez said. “I felt myself getting panicky even though there was no danger.”

Chadli has been charged with second-degree assault and is under investigation for hate crime.

She made a brief appearance in court for a scheduled arraignment on Monday morning, but her attorney requested a mental competency evaluation for Chadli, which the judge granted.

Chadli is due back in court on Oct. 13, and as Gonzalez heals from her physical and emotional scars, she hopes people who don’t have anything nice to say gain a little compassion.

“Understand that I’m a human; we’re living this life for the first time around,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has set up this GoFundMe to help with her recovery.