An Egyptian court judge confirmed on Thursday that two men were sentenced to life in prison for sexually harassing and assaulting women on June 3 in the capital’s iconic Tahrir Square.
Mohamed Moustafa, the Presiding Judge, said in Cairo that the third man received 20 years for his role in the offense committed during mass rallies celebrating Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi’s victory in the presidential polls.
He said the three were also fined 14,000 dollars each as compensation to their victims.
Moustafa said they were convicted for terrorising a woman and her daughter and dragging them to an isolated area and then used violence and knives to attack the victims.
“The convicts also sexually harassed and attempted rape the women.’’
Sexual assaults have been rampant in large crowds in Egypt, most frequently during protests or demonstrations in public squares like Tahrir Square.
Women’s rights groups have estimated that more than 250 cases of “mass sexual rape and mass sexual assaults” occurred from Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2014.
In June, Egypt passed a law criminalising sexual harassment, and those found guilty are subject to at least six months and up to five years in jail, or fines of at least 420 dollars. (Xinhua)
