First trial of Uber driver for attempting to kidnap Habiba Al-Shamaa opens Monday

CAIRO – 15 April 2024: The trial against an Uber driver will open on Monday before a Cairo criminal court for charges of attempting to kidnap Habiba el Shamaa - widely known as al Shorouk Girl - and possessing 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 sustained critical injuries, including bone fractures, internal bleeding, and brain hemorrhage, and went into a 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 the 34-year-old 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. Before 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 (Mahmoud Hashem) 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.