Updated: Egyptian Police arrests man caught in video harassing girl

CAIRO - 9 March 2021: Police forces managed to arrest a man caught in video sexually harassing a girl in Maadi district.

A wave of anger dominated social media platforms in Egypt after a footage leaked from a surveillance camera in a residential building in Maadi district showed a man sexually harassing a girl.

What happened?

The incident was revealed on Monday, and it took place inside a residential building in Maadi district. A video captured by a surveillance camera installed on the first floor of the building showed the man smiling and calling out on the girl to come to him, and then he took her near the stairs, where he committed his crime. The harasser was caught by a surveillance camera when he touched the young girl’s body and tried to carry her but the girl ran away. A door suddenly opened, and a lady showed up after she saw the harasser on the camera.

The video showed the harasser trying to deny the accusation, while the lady was pointing to the camera as a proof of his crime. The man then left away, but the camera captured his face clearly. Some social media users circulated an account on Facebook saying it belongs to the harasser. 

For her part, Dr. Maya Morsy, the head of the National Council for Women, praised the lady’s stance in revealing the harassment incident.

“Thanks for the rapid move by the public prosecution, the police, the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and the Cabinet’s office for complaints…and we are closely following up on social media platforms,” Dr. Morsy said in a statement.

She further added “it is clear that this harasser is used to commit such crime.. but he is now exposed, the girl is rescued and the state will move to get the right of this girl and other children whom he might have abused.”

She also assured that the Penal Code stipulates in Articles 268 and 269 that whoever commits indecent assault against a person by force, threat or attempts to do so, shall be punished with hard labor imprisonment, and in case the victim is below the age of 18 years old, the violator will be punished by hard labor imprisonment for a period not less than seven years.  

Cairo Investigative department is currently checking the footage to determine the harasser’s identity, and arrest him.

Some social media posts referred to the harasser’s social status as a married husband and having kids, calling to stop sharing his leaked video. However, these calls instigated anger comments by many users who refused to give an excuse for the harasser, and reiterated their calls to hold him accountable for his crime.