In this two-part series on pedophilia and its social recriminations in Egyptian society, staff writer Jumana Shehata examines some of the socio-political and economic causes behind some of the worst sexual abuse crimes committed in 2006.
CAIRO: Most Egyptians are left open-mouthed gasping in surprise at hearing the word “pe’do-phi’lia because they do not understand what it means.
There is no such terminology in the Arabic language to describe “adult sexual love displayed towards children , which is the common dictionary definition. The recent discovery of corpses belonging to adolescent males unraveled the reality of violent gang rapes of some 40 children in six governorates that have silently been perpetrated in the past seven years – Egyptian cases of pedophilia, rape and violence.
And many of these have ended in murder.
In one such case, corpses were found in Cairo, Qalubia, Alexandria, Beheira, Beni Suef and Gharbia and a massive police investigation netted a gang of four men who would entice children atop moving trains, rape them, and then throw them into the path of oncoming trains.
The media nicknamed the series of crimes “the Turbini case , a moniker in reference to the street name of Ramadan Mansour, 26, one of the perpetrators of the violent acts and the name of the turbine engine used to power Egyptian trains.
Such violent crimes now leave no room for Egyptians to often pause in confusion with an eyebrow- raising question, “do these things even happen in Egypt?
Prominent psychologists and sociologists in Egypt agree the main reason acts of pedophilia are coming to the fore, is “because the media are doing a better job at covering it, as Dr Hani Henry, assistant Professor of Psychology at the American University in Cairo (AUC) put it.
Dr Mathew Whoolery, head of the Psychology Department at AUC says the cruelty and gruesome nature of the child rapes and subsequent murders were “difficult to ignore by mass media.
But why does this happen in a conservative society that sees the donning of the hijab head scarf increasing and prayer mats flooding Cairo streets on Fridays?
“There is no ideal community in the world, said Dr Salem Abd El Geleel, who manages the guidance unit at the Ministry of Awkaf (Endowments).
The Turbini case is no phenomenon, it does not point at a malfunction in society. “Even in the time of the Prophet Mohammed, the city of Medina witnessed crime.
Experts on sexual deviancy are divided between those who believe chemical imbalance or disease are the root causes of such behavioral patterns and those who say the lack of normal sexual development lead to such suffering later in life.
Mansour, who was arraigned Dec. 3 on charges of kidnapping, rape and murder, claimed he was mentally ill and afflicted with a disease which compelled him to carry out his crime wave.
But behavioral experts vehemently disagree,
“This is not a disease! There is no blood test to determine it, just a combination of bad experiences and a child’s reactions to them, Whoolery said, indicating Mansour himself may have been abused in similar fashion during his formative years.
He explained that sexual disorders in adult life can be tracked to how parents treat their children, what the child is attracted to, childhood experiences and addictions – all summed up to possibly create sexual disorders.
Stereotypically, pedophilia is visualized in the public mindset as a stranger lurking behind dark shadows forcing a child into sex. However, research shows force is rarely used; access to the child is gained through manipulation and excitement.
Whooley states that in cases on pedophilia “the adult usually knows and grooms the victim.
On his release, after a short imprisonment, Turbini decided to gain vengeance on 12-year-old “Ahmed , who had reported him to police. He raped and brutally murdered him.
Rape, according to Charles Zastrow’s book on social problems, is “a sexual expression of aggression not an aggressive expression of sex.
Henry told The Daily Star Egypt that even though there is no profile fitting to all rapists, there are general reasons behind rape such as to “establish dominance and power .
He believes Mansour, and others like him, were probably marginalized by society as a teens and consequently when they commit rape it is “to humiliate and believe they are enhancing their masculinity.
In various statements made to the police and interviews with the media, Mansour boasted of his prowess in raping young boys and in one scenario, how he repeatedly raped “Mohamed for two hours before bludgeoning him to death.
This cannot be an ordinary case of pedophilia. A prominent practicing doctor of psychology in Egypt, who asked not to be identified, stresses that most pedophiles are not violent and can be cured.
“What we have here is a very rare and unfortunate combination of psychopaths and pedophiles, the psychologist explained.
“The same make-up to that of serial killers . These pedophilic psychopaths need to be contained, in prisons or in mental institutions, for life; psychopaths cannot be treated with psychotherapy or psychopharmacology .
But economic woes may also play a considerable role. Some sociologists believe that a regressed child molester can have sexual interest in other adults but turn to children when faced with massive stress.
Sociologist Saad Edin Ibrahim believes there has been a steady increase in feelings of loss of hope, disenfranchisement and economic inopportunity which could be fueling deviant.
Ibrahim says there is something wrong with the “body social of Egypt , there is lack of political change, no avenue for participation and the “body temperature is going up.
But Charles Davidson, Assistant Professor of International Law at AUC asks, “if these marginalized people get a chance anyway, will they be politically engaged? , it goes beyond participation, “to at least have channels even if left unused. , continued Davidson.
With daily hardships becoming more complex and restrictions delaying gratification it becomes harder to determine what is acceptable, Ibrahim stated.
Cultural denial may be causing Egyptians to turn a blind eye to the existing gap between sexual mores and sexual practice. An external reaction to all problems, Whooley believes is denial, much the same as with the AIDS issue:
“They want to believe these problems don’t exist here.
