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Egyptian Leader Apologizes to Victim of Mass Sexual Assaults Egyptian Leader Apologizes to Victim of Sexual Assault in Tahrir Square
(about 7 hours later)
CAIRO — President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt apologized on Wednesday to the victim of a mass sexual assault that took place in a crowd celebrating his election, declaring in a televised visit to her hospital bed that he urged every soldier, police officer and “chivalrous man” to eradicate such abuse.CAIRO — President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt apologized on Wednesday to the victim of a mass sexual assault that took place in a crowd celebrating his election, declaring in a televised visit to her hospital bed that he urged every soldier, police officer and “chivalrous man” to eradicate such abuse.
“I apologize to you and as a state we will not allow this to happen again,” Mr. Sisi said. “I am here to tell you and every Egyptian woman I apologize to all of you.” “I apologize to you, and as a state, we will not allow this to happen again,” Mr. Sisi said. “I am here to tell you and every Egyptian woman I apologize to all of you.”
Mr. Sisi’s visit and apology, on his third day in office, was orchestrated to convey his determination to combat sexual violence against women. It was a far more forceful expression of personal commitment than was ever made by his predecessors, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose military ouster Mr. Sisi led last year, or Hosni Mubarak, who was forced to resign amid a popular uprising in 2011. Mr. Sisi’s visit and apology, on his third day in office, were orchestrated to convey his determination to combat sexual violence against women. It was a far more forceful expression of personal commitment than was ever made by his predecessors, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose military ouster Mr. Sisi led last year, or Hosni Mubarak, who was forced to resign amid a popular uprising in 2011.
Escalating reports of such assaults in the three years of protests and tumult since the ouster of Mr. Mubarak have outraged many Egyptians, and Mr. Sisi’s apology followed two days of renewed public uproar after the release on Sunday of an online video showing flashes of a brutal attack on the woman in Tahrir Square.Escalating reports of such assaults in the three years of protests and tumult since the ouster of Mr. Mubarak have outraged many Egyptians, and Mr. Sisi’s apology followed two days of renewed public uproar after the release on Sunday of an online video showing flashes of a brutal attack on the woman in Tahrir Square.
“Tahrir has cameras, and there is a video shot of me and my daughter watches it every day and breaks down – it’s on YouTube,” said the woman, whose name was withheld and whose face was obscured in the television footage. “Tahrir has cameras, and there is a video shot of me, and my daughter watches it every day and breaks down — it’s on YouTube,” said the woman, whose name was withheld and whose face was obscured in the television footage.
“Don’t be upset for yourself or for her,” Mr. Sisi responded. He added that he was there to tell Egyptians, “Shame on you to let this happen even if it is one case in all of Egypt.” Mr. Sisi responded, “Don’t be upset for yourself or for her.” He added that he was there to tell Egyptians, “Shame on you to let this happen even if it is one case in all of Egypt.”
A former army general and defense minister, Mr. Sisi visited the hospital room flanked by senior military officials in their uniforms and brought a bouquet of red flowers. In a statement, his office said that he had formed a ministerial committee including representatives of the relevant branches of government, the Muslim and Christian religious establishment, and “civil society” in order to “identify the underlying causes behind the proliferation of this phenomenon and delineate a national strategy to address it.” A former army general and defense minister, Mr. Sisi visited the hospital room flanked by senior military officials in their uniforms and brought a bouquet of red flowers.
In a statement, Mr. Sisi’s office said that he had formed a ministerial committee including representatives of the relevant branches of government, the Muslim and Christian religious establishment, and “civil society” in order to “identify the underlying causes behind the proliferation of this phenomenon and delineate a national strategy to address it.”