Trial of Uber driver accused of attempting to kidnap Habiba Al-Shamaa starts April 15

CAIRO – 27 March 2024: President of Cairo Appeal Court, Counselor Mohamed Amer Gado, has set a session for next April 15 to begin the trial of Uber driver Mahmoud Hashem, 34 years old, who is accused of attempting to kidnap Habiba el Shamaa - widely-known as al Shorouk Girl.

The trial before Cairo Criminal Court will be headed by Judge Atef Rizk.

On March 25, the Public Prosecution referred the accused Uber driver to the Criminal Court over charges of kidnapping, possession of cannabis drug and driving under the influence of drugs.

"The Uber driver attempted to kidnap me," el Shamaa told a witness who rushed to help her after she had fallen and hit a cement barrier, according to a statement issued by the Public Prosecution.

Shamaa has sustained critical injuries, including bone fractures, internal bleeding, and brain hemorrhage, and went into coma.

On March 24, Habiba announced dead after her health condition deteriorated.

Habiba jumped out of a car last February after fearing a kidnapping attempt from an Uber driver who allegedly sprayed perfume inside the car which made her feel threatened.

An eyewitness informed the police that he observed the girl opening the backdoor of the car and jumping out. Prior to losing consciousness, she reportedly informed the eyewitness that the driver attempted to abduct and assault her. Since February 21, Habiba has remained unconscious, with a cognitive ability rated at 3 out of 15 due to a brain hemorrhage.

The Uber driver was initially detained for four days pending investigations following a public prosecution order. Subsequently, he was further imprisoned for over 15 days pending ongoing investigations.

The Uber driver admitted to the crimes, claiming that when he closed the car windows and sprayed perfume, he was startled by the girl jumping out of the car. However, he continued driving without stopping out of fear of reprisal or arrest.

The Ministry of Interior issued a statement indicating that the Shorouk Police Department in the Cairo Security Directorate received a report from a hospital in Shorouk following Habiba’s case. She was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition with head injuries and a disturbed level of consciousness.