Egypt: Appeal against decision to release 15-year-old who stabbed her rapist 

The Giza prosecution office has ordered the release of the 15-year-old “Ayat girl”, who was arrested after stabbing a microbus driver who attempted to rape her, on 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($604) bail.

In July Amira was lured to Al-Ayat by a microbus driver, her boyfriend and another man and then offered a lift home by the driver after the other commuters got out.

Her lawyer told Daily News Egypt at the time that the driver attacked Amira with a knife and attempted to rape her so she stabbed him 14 times in self-defence.

At the end of July the charges of premeditated murder against Amira were renewed. Dina El-Mokadem, Amira’s lawyer, filed a petition to release her.

Amira was detained alongside adults, despite the fact that at 15 she is still a child.

READ: Egypt extends detention of Shaath’s son by 15 days

Amira’s father has said he cannot not afford the bail payment and the prosecution has appealed against the decision of the South Giza Court to release Amira.

The case ignited a debate on sexual harassment in Egypt, which is rife, and who is at fault.

Yesterday evening Amira’s father appeared on Al-Hadath Al-Youm to say “I know my daughter was wrong, that she went on a journey alone and she got in a vehicle alone, but I keep saying she is just a child.”

Back in July many took to social media to defend Amira. Under Egyptian law rape has to have taken place for murder to be considered self-defence.

In 2014 the government passed a law which threatened five years of prison time for sexual harassment but it is not enforced and neither is it effective.

Last year Reuters said Egypt was the worst country in the world to be a woman.

Women who do speak out about sexual harassment are often punished by authorities – in 2018 Amal Fathy was sentenced to prison after posting a video on Facebook calling out sexual harassment.

READ: Sinai bride killed by Egypt army days before her wedding