Initiative calls for harsher punishments after woman run over by harasser

An anti-sexual harassment initiative has called for a law criminalizing any kind of violence or harassment against women after a young woman was run over and killed by her harasser in Gharbiya.

The initiative, called Shoft Ta7rosh or ‘I saw harassment’ and comprising several human and women’s rights organizations as well as prominent academic and media figures, urged interim President Adly Mansour to take action.

Shorouk al-Torby, 18, was crushed under a microbus after she stood up to its driver for harassing her and another girl. Torby blocked the driver’s way as she tried to call her brother to help her, but the driver ran her over and fled the scene.

Torby died before reaching the hospital.        

The Gharbiya Security Directorate arrested the driver, who confessed to the crime.

A recent report by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women showed that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is usually at its height during Eid when the streets are flooded with crowds out to celebrate. Shoft Ta7rosh reported several cases between August 8 and 10 in Cairo’s downtown area, where it deployed volunteers to combat harassment.