CAIRO: The Qena Criminal Court adjourned for the second time the trial of 18-year-old Gerges Baroumi accused of rapping a 12-year-old girl in the town of Farshout to April 19.
The trial was postponed pending a decision on the defense committee’s request to refer the case to another judicial district.
The committee filed the request after the court announced the replacement of two judiciary members in the session held April 17 and after it heard the testimonies of the victim and her mother for the second time in a secret session.
Following the court session, the defense committee issued a statement reiterating its request and protesting the court’s decision not to respond to their demands that are "vital to the trial’s outcome.
The statement explained the reasons behind the defense committee’s request, the most prominent of which is the court’s refusal to allow the committee to consult with the accused in private.
According to the statement, the court also asked the lawyers to submit a power of attorney, which is not in line with the law.
Peter El-Naggar, member of the defense committee, told Daily News Egypt that the committee submitted its request to the head of the Qena Appeals Court.
