Sex Offenders Roam Our Streets

Hundreds of rapists and sex offenders are roaming the streets of Cairo, according to a leading human rights claims. The shocking International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) report found that 250 reported cases of sexual assault and rape took place against female protestors during political demonstrations. None of the cases were ever prosecuted sparking fears than hundreds of sexual predators are still roaming Egyptian streets.

FIDH President Karim Lahidji said: “This climate of impunity contributes to their repetition and to social tolerance of violence against women." Meanwhile, the report also placed the blame on consecutive governments in Egypt for not taking measures to tackle sexual violence. The report, written in conjunction with international womens' groups, said: “Sexual harassment and assault against women remain rife… constituting major obstacles to their participation in the political transition of their country.”

Nevine Ebeid, coordinator of the women and political participation programme at the New Woman Foundation, accuses Egypt of “failing in its duty under international law to ensure effective investigations, prosecutions and sanction of perpetrators, whether they be state actors or civilians.”  She added: “The link between pervasive violence and the structural discrimination against women enshrined in Egypt’s laws cannot be ignored. Addressing violence against women requires political will to bring about wide-ranging reforms to the justice system as well as to the status of women in law and practice.”