Egypt calls on YouTube to take down sexual assault video

Newly inaugurated President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s administration has called on YouTube to take down a video of a mob sexual assault in Tahrir Square, the state-owned news site Al-Ahram reported on Thursday.

At least nine cases of sexual assault were documented on Sunday night when masses took to the streets to celebrate Sisi’s inauguration, congregating in high numbers in Tahrir.

Presidential spokesperson Ihab Badawy said that the Egyptian Embassy in Washington DC and other Egyptian parties asked YouTube to remove the video of the attack, as per the victim’s request.

The victim reportedly made the request when Sisi visited her in the hospital and apologized for the attack. 

The visit elicited mixed reactions from different groups defending women rights. Some women’s rights activists saw the visit as a sign that the state could begin to seriously fight against sexual assault. However, others criticized the new president for exploiting the incident to boost his image, calling the visit an act of propaganda.  

The president launched a national program to stop sexual violence, calling for a ministerial committee to look into the issue.

According to a statement issued by the president’s office, Sisi also called on the Ministry of Interior to take measures to combat sexual harassment, which he called “an unacceptable form of conduct, alien to the best principles of Egyptian culture.”