An Egyptian court on Thursday sentenced two men to life in prison for sexually harassing and assaulting women on June 3 in the capital’s iconic Tahrir Square, official MENA news agency reported.
A third man received 20 years for his role in the offense committed during mass rallies celebrating the victory of Abdel- Fattah al-Sisi’s in the presidential polls.
The three were also fined 100,000 Egyptian pounds (about 14,000 US dollars) each as compensation to their victims.
The accused were convicted of terrorizing a woman and her daughter and dragging them to an isolated area and then used violence and knives to attack the victims, in addition to sexual harassment and attempted rape, said the presiding judge, Mohamed Moustafa.
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 November 2012 to January 2014.
In June, Egypt passed a law criminalizing sexual harassment. Those found guilty of sexual harassment are subject to at least six months and up to five years in jail, or fines of at least 3, 000 Egyptian pounds (about 420 dollars).
On July 16, seven men were handed life terms for sexual harassment and sexual assault committed during mass celebrations marking the third anniversary of the ouster of long-time President Honsi Mubarak on January 25, and on June 8 to celebrate the inauguration of Sisi as new president.
