An angry response across social media platforms followed a widespread video of a sex mob attack in Mansoura, Egypt on New Year's Eve. The video shows a young woman crying for help while dozens of men surround her and physically assaulted her.
2020 begins as 2019 ended in #Egypt .
— Amr Khalifa (@Cairo67Unedited) January 1, 2020
Brutal violence against women & a systematic absence of law & governance mechanisms to reign in the beasts:
this from Mansoura last night. pic.twitter.com/gXGcYNX1Ff
Shortly after the video went viral, the police in Mansoura City to the North of Egypt announced a prompt investigation and explained that they are using the video to identify all the assailants.
What is This? What's happening I just can't believe it ?????? it's sad that Egypt the iconoc Arabic country in the 20s is becoming a barbarian country, the Army has ruined this beautiful civilisation.
— Majdouline Jamaa (@MajdoulineJama1) January 1, 2020
يعني انتو عاوزين تعملوا لمين توعيه للهمج دول؟ توعيه ايه يا جماعة!! ده انتهاك وتحرش جسدي دي جريمة
— بطوطة (@DaisyDuckegypt) January 1, 2020
Translation: "What awareness efforts are you talking about? This is a violating physical attack. It's a crime!"
حيوانات والله العظيم عديمي التربية. لا يروا ف المرأة الا انها وسيلة للمتعة ومصدر غواية. الحيوانات دول لو شافوا اجنبية لابسة ايه، محدش منهم هيقرب لها لانه عارف مصيره هيكون ايه
— Iman Ibrahim (@ImanIbrahim1) January 2, 2020
بس للاسف عارف ان بنت بلده ملهاش تمن وأنها هي التي سوف تلام الآخر علشان كده بيعمل اللي هو عاوزة
Translation: "They are animals, I swear they have no morals. They only think of women as tools of pleasure and seduction. If these animals saw a foreign woman they won't approach her regardless of what she could be wearing, because they know there will be harsh repercussions. Unfortunately, they know nobody cares about an Egyptian woman and that she'll be blamed at the end of the day."
قسم بالله رعب الله يلعنهم لو بس فيه قانون يحميها كان ما تجرأ يلمسها
— hafsa? (@hafsadaan) January 1, 2020
Translation: "I swear this is terrifying. If there were real laws protecting her this would have never happened."
Several people blamed the victim claiming that her outfit was inappropriate and provoking, but many social media users expressed their shock and demanded that authorities take firm action, saying that nothing justifies this assault.
Online users also noted that this attack is not the first of its kind in Egypt, as dozens of similar mob assaults have stirred controversy in the past, urging the government to issue new laws aimed at limiting sexual harassment in the country.
غياب القانون... هي دي مصر ، القانون موجود بس علشان يعتقل الشباب ويختفوا بالسنين لكن يحموا حد من المجرمين المتحرشين دول ؟ طبعا لا
— Cleopatra (@Queen_K2018) January 1, 2020
Translation: "This is a result of the absence of law in Egypt. The only laws there nowadays are the ones used to detain youth for years, not to protect people from these criminals."
According to Egyptian law, unwanted sexual contact is punished with a minimum of one year in prison and a fine between $650 and $1250. However, there have been wide speculations about the actual enforcement of these laws.