CAIRO - 13 June 2026: Egyptian legislature places great importance on protecting and caring for children, establishing decisive legal frameworks to prevent their exploitation and criminalize child marriage and physical abuse against them.
This is achieved through the integration of the Child Law and the Penal Code, as follows:
Age of Childhood and the Official Prohibition of Child Marriage
Article (2) of the Child Law No. 126 of 2008 precisely defines a child, stipulating that a child is anyone who has not reached the age of 18 full calendar years.
A child's age is verified by a birth certificate, national identity card, or any other official document.
In the absence of an official document, the age is estimated by a competent authority designated by a decision of the Minister of Justice in agreement with the Minister of Health.
Accordingly, it is strictly prohibited to register a marriage contract for anyone under the age of eighteen calendar years, whether male or female. Furthermore, it is legally prohibited to ratify any marriage contract that violates this age requirement.
Addressing Violations and Increasing Penalties for Child Marriage
The law did not merely prohibit the administrative marriage of minors, but also criminalized and severely punished any physical or sexual assault committed under this guise or otherwise, according to Penal Code No. 58 of 1937:
The crime of rape is defined in Article 267, which stipulates the death penalty or life imprisonment for anyone who has sexual intercourse with a female without her consent.
The death penalty becomes mandatory if the victim is a child under 18 years of age, or if the perpetrator is a relative, guardian, person in a position of authority over her, a paid servant in her household, or if there are multiple perpetrators.
As for the crime of indecent assault by force, Article 268 clarifies that anyone who commits indecent assault by force or threat is punishable by aggravated imprisonment.
The penalty is increased to a minimum of seven years' imprisonment if the victim is under 18 years of age, or if the perpetrator is among those mentioned in Article 267.
The penalty is increased to life imprisonment if both circumstances are present: a child victim and a perpetrator who is a parent or guardian.
Regarding indecent assault without force or threat, Article 269 states that anyone who indecently assaults a boy or girl under the age of 18 without force or threat shall be punished with imprisonment.
The penalty is increased to a minimum of seven years' imprisonment if the child is under 12 years of age, or if the perpetrator is a parent or guardian.
Combating incitement to immorality in public places
Article 269 addresses legal protection, stipulating that:
Anyone found in a public place or thoroughfare inciting passersby to immorality through gestures or words shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than three months.
In the event of a repeat offense within one year of the first final judgment, the penalty shall be increased to imprisonment for a period of not less than one year, and a fine ranging between 500 and 3000 pounds, with the convicted person placed under police supervision for a period equal to the term of the sentence.
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