Child rape case in Assuit stokes sectarian tension
Child rape case in Assuit stokes sectarian tension
Social media activists have called for an extreme sentence against the boy. Yet, legally, it's unlikely to happen given his age.
2 min read
Egyptian children sit on the side of an alley in the village of al-Nehaya, one of the country's poorest, in the province of Assiut in central Egypt, on 16 November 2019. [Getty]
The case of a 13-year-old boy who had raped a five-year-old girl in Assiut city in Egypt last week has increased sectarian tensions among the community, a security source in Assiut told The New Arab on condition of anonymity.
The alleged rapist is said to be Christian, while the victim is Muslim.
Last Friday, a five-year-old went to play at a local children's park with her parents in Assiut city. She then went to the bathroom alone, according to local news.
The alleged perpetrator, who worked at the park, had greeted her and shown her the men's room. He then followed her inside and attacked her, the reports added.
With signs of assault present on her body, yet not truly recognising what happened to her, the five-year-old informed her mother that a boy attacked her. He was promptly caught.
"[He] suffers from a behavioural disorder and sexual perversion," high-profile counselling psychologist Dr Mervat El-Amary told The New Arab.
"I can't call him a criminal because he is under 18. Before that age, we can't even diagnose a mental illness. But as I said, he has a behavioural disturbance," she added.
The prosecution general has referred the 13-year-old to a juvenile facility for a week after the coroner's examination of the girl affirmed she was assaulted, according to a statement released on Sunday.
Social media activists have called for an extreme sentence against the boy. Yet, legally, it's unlikely to happen given his age.
The hashtag "the Assuit's Child" has been trending on Egyptian social media platforms since the incident became public.
For his part, Hany Salim, an Egyptian writer, tweeted:
"What occurred to #Assuit'w_child is disgraceful…a proof that there is a serious disturbance in the ethical criteria and…upbringing in the absence of awareness…things have surpassed absurdity in the least principles."
ما حدث تجاه #طفلة_أسيوط وصمة عار عميقة ومخجلة تلطخ جبين كل الشعب المصري عن بكرة أبيه ودليل علي أن هناك تشوه خطير في القيم واختلال فاضح في المعايير الأخلاقية، وفي النشأة التربوية أو التنشئة الإجتماعية والتربوية والأسرية، وغياب الوعي والتثقيف، الأمور تعدت حاجز العبثية في أدق القيم.
— هانى سالم _ Hany Salem (@HSalim_Writer) July 17, 2022
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