Somali girl who allegedly killed suspected rapist released

GOOBJOOG NEWS|CAIRO: A Somali girl accused of killing a tuk-tuk driver after a rape attempt has been released after police and medical examinations pointed to the plausibility of her argument of self-defence.

According to Cairo media, the 15-year-old had been held for four days after handing herself in to authorities for police to carry out further investigations.

However, police and medical investigations showed the girl’s version of events as plausible. The prosecution said medical examination confirmed lacerations to the girl’s head and fingers.

Meanwhile, an autopsy on the driver’s body showed that the cause of death is consistent with the girl’s version of events.

She was released on Friday pending further investigation.

According to online media in Cairo, the girl told police the driver had taken her to a remote spot where he had tried to rape her. But she fought back, getting knife cuts before managing to wrestle the knife from the alleged attacker.

She then stabbed him and fled.

The unidentified man’s body was found in the city of Giza, near the capital Cairo, on 17 May.

The case had already caught the attention of social media users in Egypt, who called on high-profile lawyers and groups to help the girl.

Research suggests sexual assault and harassment are common in Egypt, with a 2013 UN study finding 99.3% of girls and women in the country reporting to have experienced some form of sexual harassment in their lifetime.

However, despite recent changes to the law to increase penalties for those found guilty, Egyptian authorities have been accused of frequently failing to investigate and prosecute men accused of sexual harassment or assault against women and girls.