Security forces in Egypt's northern governorate of Sharqiya remanded one man into custody for four days pending investigation following a collective assault and harassment of a woman as she returned home from a wedding on Thursday night in Zagazig city.
Masses of men encircled a woman who was returning home from a wedding. The woman was then insulted, harassed, and assaulted by a mob of men. A passerby reported the incident and soon after, police fired shots in the air in attempts to disperse the crowd around the woman. They then escorted her to a local police station for safety.
Security sources said that a total of six men have been arrested for their involvement in the case. The man who was first arrested was later identified by the victim as a perpetrator.
Sexual harassment and violence have been prevalent in Egypt for years. According to a 2013 UN study, 99 percent of women in Egypt have witnessed some form of sexual harassment.
The Egyptian government passed an anti-sexual harassment law in April 2014, penalizing those found guilty of sexual harassment with a fine of EGP 3,000 to EGP 5,000 and/or a jail sentence of no less than six months.
The UN condemned this law. In January, a parliamentary committee approved a draft bill pushing for tougher penalties than those in the existing law.
The draft bill would also impose an increase in fines from EGP 5,000 to EGP 10,000 on those who are found guilty of sexual harassment in public or private areas, with harassment defined as gestures or words or any other action that carries sexual or pornographic hints.
If the action is repeated by the harasser through tracking and stalking the victim, the penalties of imprisonment and fines are doubled.
There had previously been no specific law criminalising sexual harassment in Egypt before the 2014 law approved by then interim president Adly Mansour. It was added as an amendment to the Egyptian penal code.
The committee also agreed on an amendment to the penal code on child sexual abuse, where the jail terms were toughened to three years in prison and fines of between EGP 20,000 and EGP 50,000.
Last week, Daqahliya security department was notified by a mother of a toddler that a 35-year-old man had abducted and raped her daughter, causing her severe vaginal bleeding.
The girl was taken to Belqas hospital for medical care and surgery, as she was in a bad condition. A police report was filed and sent to the prosecution for investigation. On Thursday, the court scheduled April 4 for an urgent trial session for Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Refaei, who is accused of raping the 2-year-old toddler.
