Is creepshot becoming the latest harassment trend?

CAIRO – 8 July 2021: Cairo has witnessed two harassment incidents of taking photo discreetly of women in public by men; known as “creepshots.”

Within the last two months, two victims took to social media to reveal stealth pictures taken of them from behind in public places, in viral videos that ended up by sending the assaulters to prosecution.

It started when blogger Basma Bishay posted a video on her Instagram in June, saying that her flight from Beirut landed in Cairo, and she was collecting her baggage when a friend spotted a man taking photos of Basma from her back.

 

The man, an airliner employee, was detained and investigated after the prosecution found inappropriate pictures of the victim on the man’s phone. Similar pictures of other women were found on his phone.

Bishay thanked social media users for the huge support, as well as the police and investigative authorities for taking care of the case and their swift response.

The second incident was revealed by Actress Zeinab Gharib, who is known for her role in the 2020 Ramadan series “B 100 Wesh,” who streamed a video on her Instagram account, where she revealed that she was subject to a harassment incident.

 

She said that a man was stalking her in a dark street downtown, and when she turned around, she found him taking pictures of her from behind.

She filed a legal suit to preserve her rights, and educate ladies not to be silent in the face of such crimes.

On Wednesday, the Qasr al-Nil Misdemeanor Court fined a veterinarian L.E. 10,000 over charges of sexually harassing Actress Zeinab.

Standing up against harassment, sexual assault

There has been an awakening movement in the Egyptian society as many victims of harassment and rape rose to reveal their stories, and send assaulters to prison. 

The government has also moved against such assaults boldly in the recent years, harshening the legal punishment on harassers and protecting women's rights. The social media has also played an effective and prominent role in emboldening women to report their cases.

In July, the Egyptian government ratified a draft law that guarantees the secrecy of testimonies made by victims of harassment, rape and sexual assault.

The law stipulates that violators, who uncover information about the victims or their testimonies, will be punished by imprisonment of no more than 6 months or a fine that does not exceed L.E. 500.

This came as part of the state’s keenness to maintain ethical principles at the time many victims are reluctant to report these crimes out of fear of harming their reputation.

 Harassment punishment in Egyptian law

Article 306 (a) of the Penal Code states that the accused shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than six months, and a fine of no less than three thousand pounds, and not more than 5,000 pounds, or either of both penalties, whoever commit sexual innuendo or insinuations, whether by gesture, word, or action, or by any means, including online means.

The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than one year and a fine of no less than five thousand pounds and not more than ten thousand pounds, and one of these two penalties if the act is repeated by the offender through stalking and tracking the victim, and if the offender carries a weapon, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than two years. It does not exceed five years and the fine is not less than twenty thousand pounds and not more than fifty thousand pounds.