The Alexandria Criminal Court has moved to refer the case of a gardener accused of sexually assaulting several children at an international school in Alexandria to the Grand Mufti of Egypt for an opinion on his execution, ten days after the arrest.
The court set February 1st as the date for the verdict.
A referral to the Mufti is required in the Egyptian court system ahead of any death sentences even though the mufti’s opinion is advisory, not binding.
The decision came during the second session of the trial, which was held in the presence of the defendant, a service worker at the school, amidst tight security measures.
The victims and their families were also present, wearing masks and sunglasses to conceal their identities.
During the session, the court heard the prosecution’s arguments, which demanded the maximum penalty for the defendant, describing his crime as heinous and condemned by both divine religions and secular laws.
The prosecution charged the defendant with kidnapping by deception and sexual assault.
The lawyer representing the child victims revealed that four new cases have been added to the list of victims.
He said that they appeared at the court hearing and decided to join the case.
Rampant sexual assault
The incident began with a report from the parents of several students at the international school, accusing the employee of sexually harassing their children, sexually assaulting them, and touching their private parts inside the school.
This was confirmed by the Public Prosecution’s investigations.
According to the Public Prosecution’s order to refer the defendant to trial, the perpetrator committed the charges of kidnapping by deception and sexual assault of five children.
The evidence included the statements of the child victims and their families, and the report of the forensic doctor who conducted the medical examination and confirmed the injuries, which corroborated their accounts and descriptions of the incident.
The investigation also confirmed the incident and that the accused, had assaulted the children inside a room attached to the school garden.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
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