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Egypt: Family of detained Fairmont rape witness demand medical examination

September 16, 2020 at 12:20 pm

The five-star Fairmont Nile City hotel, where an alleged sexual assault took place in 2014, in the Egyptian capital Cairo on 30 July 2020 [SAMER ABDALLAH/AFP via Getty Images]

The family of a detained witness in the Fairmont Hotel rape case has demanded that Egypt provide a medical examination to determine her mental health.

Egyptian authorities systematically deny detainees medical care, with many dying after prolonged neglect.

According to Cairo 24, the public prosecution has agreed and ordered that a health inspector sign a medical examination for Nazli Mustafa Karim to determine which treatment she needs.

This summer, nine men were accused of drugging and raping a woman at the luxury Fairmont Nile City Hotel in 2014.

The group allegedly filmed the rape and then used the footage to blackmail the victim.

READ: Amazon mulls building its largest warehouse in Egypt

As pressure grew on the authorities to act, Egyptian authorities ordered that the men be arrested.

Four were detained in Lebanon after an Interpol operation found they had fled there. Two were arrested in Egypt.

Women who come forward to report sexual abuse in Egypt are often punished whilst the perpetrators walk free.

Hopes that authorities would this time pursue justice for the victim came crashing down as three female witnesses to the gang rape were arrested and investigated for drug abuse, inciting debauchery and participating in an orgy.

The prosecutor’s office said the three women were referred to a government laboratory for a drugs test.

Websites loyal to the regime claimed they were part of a network of homosexuals spreading AIDS. Egypt has a history of persecuting its LGBTQ community.

The women were also smeared online, despite celebrations surrounding new legislation in Egypt which pledged to protect the identities of female victims and witnesses of sexual harassment.