Egyptian middle school teacher to stand trial for harassing a student
A judicial source declared that an Egyptian prosecutor referred a middle-school teacher to trial on Sunday over charges of sexually harassing one of his students.
The spokesman of Egypt’s administrative prosecution Investigations Prosecutor Abdel Nasser Khatab, added that the investigations have revealed that the teacher was previously accused of sexual harassment at another school where he once worked,.
The teacher was referred to a disciplinary court and accused of “violating the honour” of the student for forcibly placing her on his lap, thus violating the ethical agreement and trust between teachers and students that are backed by the law.
Ina recent amendment to the sexual harassment law it specifies: “If the perpetrator is in a position of authority, in occupation, family or education, over the victim or has used any pressure allowed by the circumstances, punishment will not be less than two years, but not exceed five years, and the fine will not be less than 20,000 Egyptian pounds, but not exceed 50,000 pounds,”
A law introduced by former interim President Adli Mansour days before he handed over power to the newly elected president stated that sexual harassers shall face imprisonment for at least one year and a fine of at least 3,000 Egyptian pounds.
Sexual harassment was also extended to include oral harassment, sexual gestures or harassment through phones or other means of communication.
A court sentenced a man to one year in prison with labor on Saturday, fining him 3,000 Egyptian pounds, for using his mobile telephone to take photos of a woman as she slept on a public bus.
Two men in Alexandria were also sentenced to six months in prison on Wednesday for sexually harassing two women.