Egypt’s parliament sent on Wednesday an amendment to the Law on the Rights of People of Determination to the presidency for approval.
The first article of the law stipulates that a new article No. 50 be added to the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promulgated by Law No. 10 of 2018, which reads as follows:
In case of bullying on a person with a disability shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of no less than two years and a fine of no less than EGP 50,000 and not more than EGP 100,000, or one of these two penalties.
The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than 3 years and not more than 5 years and a fine of no less than EGP 100,000 and not more than 200,000, or one of these two penalties, if the crime was committed by two or more people, or the perpetrator was one of the victims’ ancestors first. Those responsible for his upbringing, observing him, or those who have authority over him, or the victim was handed over to him and in accordance with the law or by virtue of a court ruling, or if he was a servant to him or to those mentioned above, but if the two parties meet, the minimum penalty shall be doubled.
In the case of recurrence, the penalty shall be doubled in her lower and upper cheeks.
The House of Representatives had approved a draft law submitted by Representative Mohamed Mostafa El Sallab and others, to amend some provisions of Law No. 10 of 2018 promulgating the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law, which aims to toughen the punishment for bullying.
The report of the joint committees for constitutional and legislative affairs, social solidarity, family and persons with disabilities on the draft law confirmed that bullying is an undesirable aggressive phenomenon that involves violence and aggressive behaviour by an individual or group of individuals towards others, and by evaluating this phenomenon it is found that its behaviors are characterized by repetition. It also expresses the assumption that there is an imbalance in the balance of power and authority between people.
It added that bullying takes many forms, including physical, verbal, or suggestive. This disgraceful act results in many negative effects, including loss of self-confidence and concentration, and a decline in academic level.
The report pointed out that the phenomenon of bullying increases social imbalance and fear of confronting all that is new, which exacerbates health and psychological problems.
