As the incident of the train harasser found its way to the top the Egyptian social media trends, with a video that showed a street boy who went to sit next to a middle aged man in an Upper Egypt train before the latter started harassing the young boy. The video that went viral under the hashtag of “Russian Train Harasser” not only revealed the incident’s criminal but the fact that the victim suffered from mental health problems and shed light on the recurring crime against childhood as a whole.
After the past few days witnessed security forces success in identifying and arresting the harasser, he was brought to the Public Prosecution to take the necessary legal measures against him.
With regard to the penalty awaiting the criminal, Khalil Farid, lawyer and expert in general law said that in accordance with Article no. 278 of the Penal Code, under the condition of the occurrence of an indecent act in a public place, the penalty would be imprisonment and a fine.
Farid: The penalty stated in the penal code in such case implies that imprisonment in such a case would not exceed one year or 300-Pound fine
Farid added to “Trendify” that the penalty stated in the penal code in such case implies that imprisonment in such a case would not exceed one year or 300-Pound fine.
But as with any news spread on social media, some people had different opinions, as some saw that the child was old enough to know that this is an abnormal act and that he should have shouted, others thought that both the harasser and the child were wrong some people; were even mad about the fact that someone filmed the video and did not take an immediate action, yet others were convinced that filming what happened was the only right way to report the case to the police.
Ibrahim: unreported or untreated child sexual abuse leaves offenders free to abuse and cripple future generations
According to Dalia Ibrahim, director of the Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions, “unreported or untreated child sexual abuse not only scars children and destroys families, it also leaves offenders free to abuse and cripple future generations”.
Ibrahim added to “Trendify” that filming such incidents and posting it in social media was considered efficient since in such incidents, it would represent actual evidence to arrest the sexual assaulter.
“Through filming and posting, the criminal becomes known and exposed so that he can not represent a threat anymore”, Ibrahim mentioned. The major concern in such cases would be the victim’s mental health and recovery”.
“Not a crime against one child but childhood as a whole”, Ibrahim said.
It’s worth mentioning that Grad Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al Tayeb said, in press statements, earlier today “before we think about combating violence against women and children, we should search for the causes and treat them to eliminate all forms of violence”.
The Grand Imam added in his meeting with the Executive Vice President of the United Nations Population Fund in Cairo that he would suggest working on campaigns, projects and efforts to “combat poverty violence against women, children and men“.
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