As bullying incidents rise, learn about Egypt’s criminalizing of violence

CAIRO – 24 August 2020: A young man with special needs was bullied and assaulted by a barber and his friend in a barber shop.  

The two assailants were remanded for four days pending investigations over endangering security, health and life of a person with special needs.

The frequent bullying incidents cited over the past period prompted the Cabinet to approve new amendments to the Egyptian Penal Code to add new articles criminalizing bullying.

The new article stipulated that whoever shows off strength or power; makes fun of a person's weakness; or insults their sex, religion, race, physical appearance, state of health, mental condition, or social level, with the intent to intimidate them or ridicule them, is considered a bully.

The bill approved sentencing one who commits such crime to not less than 6 months in prison, in addition to paying a fine of not less than LE10,000 and not more than LE 30,000, or one of these two penalties.

The article indicated that the punishment is tightened if the crime of bullying is committed by two or more people or by a person who has authority over the victim, to reach an imprisonment sentence of not less than 1 year and a fine of not less than LE 20,000 and not more than LE 100,000, or one of these two penalties. If both conditions apply, the penalty shall be doubled.

In July, a misdemeanor court in Imbaba district, Giza, sentenced two young men to two years in prison over charges of bullying a Sudanese child. The court also ruled that each defendant shall be fined LE 100,000.

In November 2019, the police arrested the defendants after a video circulated on Tik Tok application, showing two young boys verbally abusing and bullying a young South Sudanese student, mockingly telling him to take “one beautiful photo” with them and refusing to let him leave for school.