By Nourhan Dakroury
The Assiut Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced Ramadan “Shouna” Nassar to life imprisonment for attempted murder and indecent assault, in addition to an EGP 10,001 fine.
Nadar shot 16-year-old Eman Mustafa was on 10 September last year in Assiut, after she spit on him for indecently assaulting her.
Nassar was arrested on 20 September after Mustafa’s friend and the primary witness Sahar Mamdouh identified him.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) issued a statement on Monday welcoming the verdict, adding that women and civil society organisations need to keep fighting against sexual violence.
The statement added: “EIPR hopes that Eman Mustafa’s case becomes a warning for the state to take its full responsibility in reforming the legal system governing sexual violence.”
The initiative also demanded the reform of police and medical services sectors to make them more effective in responding to cases of sexual violence and in helping survivors.
Abeer Abou Al-Ela, media coordinator for the National Council for Women, said the sentence was appropriate, as they supported “severe punishment for all those who commit violent acts against women.”
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) released a statement on 1 October last year calling on authorities to protect Mamdouh following threats allegedly from Nassar’s family.
