Case against two sexual harassment defendants adjourned to 22 June

On Sunday, Heliopolis Misdemeanor Court adjourned the trial of two young men charged with sexually harassing girls in Heliopolis last week to 22 June. The defense made the request in order to review related documents. East Cairo Prosecution had on Saturday referred two young men to urgent trial over charges of sexually harassing two girls in Heliopolis last week. The defendants arrived at the court under high security measures and the defense tried to prevent photojournalists from taking pictures of the accused. A traffic officer, aided by civilians, had apprehended the pair after they allegedly sexually and verbally harassed the girls. This incident comes amid fresh public uproar over sexual harassment and assault, which flared after a woman was brutally sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square during President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s inauguration. A YouTube video depicting the attack went viral the following day, showing a police officer attempting to help the naked and injured woman escape the mob. Last week, the United Nation’s Cairo office expressed “deep concern” over the prevalence of sexual harassment in Egypt.