Thirteen men are on trial after committing sexually violent acts against women during a public rally in Cairo less than a week ago.
According to the Washington Post, these are the first set of trials that will have tough new penalties enforced against “rampant sexual violence” after much protest.
The site reports:
The speedy trial reflects a government push to address the issue. Harassment has long been a problem, but assaults have become more frequent and gruesome over the past three years. El-Sissi visited one of the survivors in the hospital, apologizing and promising tough actions against the attackers.
The news of the trials comes after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi visited a victim of one of the sexual assault cases in the country, and promised them a crackdown of sexually violent acts in the future.
ABC News reports:
The men are accused of kidnapping the women, assaulting them, torturing them, robbing them, and attempting to murder and rape them. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Egypt only recently criminalized sexual harassment, a much lesser charge than that which the 13 men face.
In one of his last decisions before stepping down, Adly Mansour, Egypt’s interim president and el-Sissi’s predecessor, decreed sexual harassment a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. The decree issued earlier this month was much-anticipated as a way to combat the abuse, deeply rooted in Egypt. The decree amended the country’s existing laws, which did not criminalize sexual harassment and only vaguely referred to such offenses as indecent assault.
We pray for the victims and their families in this sexual assault case.
SOURCE: Washington Post, ABC News | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
