A young Ukrainian model who was viciously assaulted and left for dead in Dubai has spoken out about her life ten months after the horrific attack that left her in a coma and fighting for her life.
A Dream Trip Turned Nightmare
In March of last year, 21-year-old Maria Kovalchuk flew to Dubai with high hopes of advancing her modelling career. The influencer and adult content creator, who has thousands of social media followers, had no idea her trip would end in a brutal assault that she would barely survive. She was later discovered by a roadside with a broken spine and leg, having allegedly fallen from a height. Her hair had been crudely shorn and she had been scalped with a knife, suffering a severe facial wound.
Initial reports from friends fuelled fears she had fallen victim to a notorious 'Porta Potty' party, where wealthy men are said to pay to abuse and degrade women. However, Kovalchuk has stated she was tortured by wealthy Russians at a three-day party, not by local sheikhs. The mystery of exactly what transpired continues to loom, as key evidence has reportedly been erased.
A Long Road to Recovery in Norway
Following the attack, Maria needed ten major operations, including three on each leg, two on her spine, and one on her shoulder blade. She spent months in a wheelchair. Now, as a war refugee, she has undergone extensive rehabilitation at a hideaway in Trondheim, Norway, where her mother lives.
In a message to her 42,000 followers, Maria described initially feeling "like a broken doll" and struggling to imagine a future with her injuries and prominent facial scar. "I started paying more attention to my inner self," she explained, crediting the support of loved ones for her healing. She has proudly shown herself walking again, stating she is "rising from the ashes, learning to live and believe again."
Her medical bills, which her mother Anna described as running into millions, were fully covered via Dubai police. Despite this, the family believes there has been a cover-up, and no one has been brought to justice for the injuries a surgeon said could not have been accidental.
Ongoing Threats and a New Beginning
Rebuilding her life from scratch, Maria has begun a new career teaching make-up. Yet, the shadows of her ordeal persist. After speaking out publicly, her mother Anna received a chilling, disappearing message on her phone which read: "We'll find you even in Norway."
Maria's fragmented memory of the event recalls meeting a man in a hotel lobby who offered her a place to stay and a private jet to Thailand. She claims she then attended a party with children of wealthy Russian and Ukrainian businessmen where the atmosphere turned menacing. She alleges she was intimidated, her passport was taken, and after trying to flee to a construction site, she was found, beaten, scalped, and thrown.
While Maria denies UAE citizens were involved, her case has highlighted the very real dangers of so-called Porta Potty parties in Dubai. Other victims have come forward with stories of degrading sexual abuse and severe physical and psychological scarring at events orchestrated by affluent men, often targeting Instagram models and influencers with promises of gifts and luxury.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, has warned that women involved in such parties, even non-consenting ones, risk serious legal charges in the UAE, including adultery or indecency. For Maria Kovalchuk, the fight for justice and a normal life continues, marred by unanswered questions and the ever-present fear of those who nearly ended it.
