Egypt: video of student sexually harassed at university goes viral

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By Abdelatif Ait Aazi

Casablanca- In a video that went viral on social media, a female university student who can be described as having long blond hair, wearing black pants and a pink sweater, was aggressively harassed both verbally and physically by a group of male colleagues who were shown trying to strip her clothes off her.

The woman took refuge in the bathroom from the dozens of male students who were grabbing her until university security escorted her from the campus.

But instead of condemning the behavior of students who harassed the young woman, the head of the Cairo University put the blame on her, arguing that she made a “mistake” when she dressed in an “unusual or inappropriate way” on campus

Speaking to the Egyptian private channel ONTV on Monday, the head of Cairo University, Gaber Nasser, said that “this girl entered the university wearing an abaya (loose cloak) and then took it off in the university

“The girl’s mistake doesn’t justify [the male students’] behavior,” said Nasser, adding that the university does not allow students to wear “unusual or inappropriate” outfits on campus.

“We will find out who is guilty – whether the girl or the [other] students – and we are going to punish them with the proper punishment, which might be expulsion from the university,” he was quoted by the The Guardian as saying

The head of Cairo University added that the whole incident was monitored by security cameras and the harassers will be investigated.

Egyptian women report that they encounter harassment even if they dress conservatively.

According to a study conducted in 2013 by UN Women, more than 99% of women in Egypt have been subjected to a form of harassment.

Edited by Sahar Kian