15-Year-Old Somali Girl Kills Bus Driver For Attempted Rape in Egypt

Rabat – A 15-year-old Somali girl living in Egypt made headlines after she killed a microbus driver who had allegedly tried to rape her at knifepoint. The girl turned herself in to the police following the incident.

According to local news outlets, the teenage girl boarded a minibus home from the 11th district, in Egypt’s 6th of October city. The driver took advantage of the fact that there were no other passengers on board, and drove her to a secluded area to molest her while holding a knife to her neck.

The girl had managed to snatch the knife from his hand and stabbed him in the chest. She fled immediately after. According to her, she stabbed him in self-defense and killing him was not her intention.

Accompanied by a lawyer, the assault survivor headed to the 6th of October police department and confessed to killing the man in self-defense recounting all the details of the incident.

The Public Prosecution has decided to keep the 15-year-old girl in police custody for four days awaiting further investigation to reveal the circumstances of the incident.

The case gained widespread attention among Egyptian and Arab social media users, with many commending the girl’s courage to defend herself against such a heinous act.

Sexual harassment in Egypt

Sexual harassment is a major problem for women in Egypt, especially in public transportation. To combat gender-based violence in public transport, the government has provided women-only transport services so that women can travel safely.

According to a United Nations report, nine out of ten Egyptian women have been sexually assaulted, and Egypt’s capital has previously been described as the most dangerous place on earth for women.

Women’s rights activists in Egypt have actively tried to combat sexual harassment by launching campaigns to raise awareness on the issue and encouraging women and girls, victims of harassment, to speak up and report their harassers.

As a result of the social resistance against this issue, the Egyptian government amended the country’s penal code in 2021 turning sexual harassment from a misdemeanor into a felony and increasing the severity of punishment.

Sexual assault, however, remains a huge issue for women in Egypt, especially since many survivors do not come forward about the assault or report the perpetrator to the police. Many victims are silenced due to societal pressure combined with guilt, shame, embarrassment, and fear of retribution.