Tourism Ministry spokesperson Rasha al-Azaizy addressed the events of the British woman who was raped in Sharm El-Sheikh by staff of her hotel.
“It’s not the first time,” she said in a phone call to talk show host Lamis al-Hadidy on CBC. “Harassment has become a threat to Egypt. We are not only concerned about the safety of the British tourist alone as we are concerned about the security of all people.”
“It happens all over the world, too,” she added.
The incident was reported in several foreign newspapers, including The Daily Mail and The Independent.
“It is a problem of employment,” she went on to say. “Normally, the officer would be fired and would go work in another hotel.”
“Harassment needs punitive legislation,” she added.
“According to official figures, there have been three rapes in Sharm El-Sheikh over the past two years and numerous incidents in which tourists have been sexually harassed by hotel staff,” The Daily Mail wrote.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
*Correction: The English translation originally stated that the spokeswoman was not as concerned with the safety of the British citizen as with Egyptian citizens. This quote has been retranslated to more accurately reflect the spokesperson's comment in Arabic.
