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| Nine in Egypt Are Convicted in Sex Assaults | |
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| CAIRO — An Egyptian judge on Wednesday sentenced nine men accused of sexual assault to terms of 20 years to life, handing down the lengthy penalties weeks after the government pledged that sexual violence against women would be more severely punished. | CAIRO — An Egyptian judge on Wednesday sentenced nine men accused of sexual assault to terms of 20 years to life, handing down the lengthy penalties weeks after the government pledged that sexual violence against women would be more severely punished. |
| The men faced charges in four attacks, including at a mass celebration after the election of Egypt’s new president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in Tahrir Square last month. A video of one attack in the square — showing a woman stripped of her clothing, badly bruised and surrounded by a crowd — provoked widespread outrage. | The men faced charges in four attacks, including at a mass celebration after the election of Egypt’s new president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in Tahrir Square last month. A video of one attack in the square — showing a woman stripped of her clothing, badly bruised and surrounded by a crowd — provoked widespread outrage. |
| In his third day in office, Mr. Sisi visited the woman in the hospital, apologized and vowed that the state would take action. | In his third day in office, Mr. Sisi visited the woman in the hospital, apologized and vowed that the state would take action. |
| Longstanding complaints about sexual violence in Egypt became more pronounced after the revolt against President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Grass-roots groups emerged to expose a culture of impunity, entrenched over decades, in which both society and the authorities ignored or played down sexual assault. In the political turmoil after Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, the attacks became more visible, as the police withdrew from the streets and rapes at mass protests and rallies became common. | Longstanding complaints about sexual violence in Egypt became more pronounced after the revolt against President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Grass-roots groups emerged to expose a culture of impunity, entrenched over decades, in which both society and the authorities ignored or played down sexual assault. In the political turmoil after Mr. Mubarak’s ouster, the attacks became more visible, as the police withdrew from the streets and rapes at mass protests and rallies became common. |
| Leaders during Egypt’s transition made little effort to halt the attacks, with some government officials blaming women for attending the protests, even as some of the victims became more emboldened to speak out. Mr. Sisi, a former army officer, was singled out for criticism during that period, when he acknowledged the use of forced “virginity tests” on female protesters and said they were used to protect women from rape, but also soldiers from rape allegations. | Leaders during Egypt’s transition made little effort to halt the attacks, with some government officials blaming women for attending the protests, even as some of the victims became more emboldened to speak out. Mr. Sisi, a former army officer, was singled out for criticism during that period, when he acknowledged the use of forced “virginity tests” on female protesters and said they were used to protect women from rape, but also soldiers from rape allegations. |
| As he campaigned for president this year, Mr. Sisi pledged to restore a sense of “shame” over sexual crimes. | As he campaigned for president this year, Mr. Sisi pledged to restore a sense of “shame” over sexual crimes. |
| In June, Egypt’s interim government amended the penal code to broaden the definition of sexual harassment, though not rape or sexual assault, and punish it with jail time. The amendment was welcomed by rights advocates as long overdue, though they warned that the police failed to enforce such protections and were a central part of the problem, frequently providing victims’ identities to suspects. | In June, Egypt’s interim government amended the penal code to broaden the definition of sexual harassment, though not rape or sexual assault, and punish it with jail time. The amendment was welcomed by rights advocates as long overdue, though they warned that the police failed to enforce such protections and were a central part of the problem, frequently providing victims’ identities to suspects. |
| It still remained to be seen whether the latest convictions would mark a fundamental shift, women’s rights activists said. In Egypt, the attacks often peak during holidays as people socialize on the streets, including the coming Eid al-Fitr celebration that signals the end of Ramadan. | It still remained to be seen whether the latest convictions would mark a fundamental shift, women’s rights activists said. In Egypt, the attacks often peak during holidays as people socialize on the streets, including the coming Eid al-Fitr celebration that signals the end of Ramadan. |
| Dalia Abd el-Hameed, a co-founder of Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, a movement that combats gang sexual assaults, called the sentences on Wednesday a “good step to end the state of impunity that perpetrators enjoyed.” The video of the victim who was attacked in Tahrir Square last month, along with the testimony of other women who had been attacked, she said, had helped end a “state of denial” about the scope of the problem. | Dalia Abd el-Hameed, a co-founder of Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment, a movement that combats gang sexual assaults, called the sentences on Wednesday a “good step to end the state of impunity that perpetrators enjoyed.” The video of the victim who was attacked in Tahrir Square last month, along with the testimony of other women who had been attacked, she said, had helped end a “state of denial” about the scope of the problem. |
| There was far more work to be done, she added, including further legal reform. And the government still failed to acknowledge that its own institutions sometimes sanctioned the attacks. “The most important thing is the social component,” she said. “If something is criminalized by law, but society accepts it, it will continue happening.” | There was far more work to be done, she added, including further legal reform. And the government still failed to acknowledge that its own institutions sometimes sanctioned the attacks. “The most important thing is the social component,” she said. “If something is criminalized by law, but society accepts it, it will continue happening.” |