Victims’ lawyer: Military Prosecution to take over school assault investigation under ‘presidential directive’

“On presidential directives,” the Military Prosecution has taken over the ongoing investigation into a series of sexual assaults perpetrated against children at a private school in Cairo, lawyer Abdel Aziz Ezz Eddin, who represents the victims’ parents, told Mada Masr.

The president’s intervention, widely praised in state-aligned media as a “deterrent” to child sexual assault, comes amid public concern over children’s safety at schools after it emerged last month that several staff members were involved in assaults targeting multiple children at the Seeds Language School in Obour.

Others have called for further accountability measures, demanding consequences for the school’s administration and greater awareness around child sexual abuse in schools to prevent similiar cases.

News of the incident surfaced last week when the Public Prosecution announced it had opened an investigation into a report that five pupils at Seeds' kindergarten — all aged five to six — were kidnapped and sexually assaulted on school grounds.

Seven staff members are now implicated. The Prosecution initially said the assaults were thought to have been perpetrated by four employees, but announced Monday evening that forensic examinations had identified three additional suspects.

Initial investigations included testimonies from children and their parents, with the children identifying three defendants, who were also cross-examined.

The accounts indicated that for nearly a year, the perpetrators had been luring children away from supervision and surveillance cameras to sexually assault and threaten them with violence.

In its statement last week, the Public Prosecution said it had inspected the scene with the children and found a knife used by the suspects to threaten them, along with other physical evidence found at the site.

Ezz Eddin told Mada Masr that four school employees are currently held in remand detention pending further investigation and faced aggravated charges including kidnapping by deception, sexual assault, endangering children’s lives and concealing evidence related to a felony.

Ezz Eddin had previously told the media that he filed a separate report with the public prosecutor concerning the deletion of the school’s surveillance footage. The defendants’ mobile phones and the school’s surveillance system have been sent for data recovery, according to the Public Prosecution.

Shortly after the case came to light, the school administration issued a statement expressing its “full support” for the parents and announcing an internal investigation to “identify the gaps.”

The Education Ministry, meanwhile, placed the school under full administrative and financial supervision and said it had referred all staff found to have participated in covering up the assaults or shown “gross negligence” in protecting the students to the authorities, without specifying their number.

The ministry also said it issued regulations for private and international schools across the country to prevent and uncover similar incidents.

Amid a high level of public interest and concern in the case, a student attending a televised press conference hosted by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Military Academy on Thursday asked him about child sexual assault cases and possible amendments to the Child Law, without directly referencing Seeds.

Sisi responded, “I get what you are referring to,” and took the opportunity to bring up the investigation, arguing that legal measures alone are insufficient without broader social awareness.

Measures can be taken to place all school premises under government supervision, he said, but it's not feasible for authorities to assume responsibility for oversight over individuals. It is therefore the responsibility of society as a whole — media, churches, mosques and families — to make a collective effort alongside the law, he said.

Following the president’s comments, several state-aligned outlets reported on Sunday, citing a “judicial source,” that the Military Prosecution had “requested” the case file from the Public Prosecution, a move that rapidly garnered praise from public figures, including TV anchor Ahmed Moussa, who praised the move as enhancing public deterrence in child sexual assault cases.

In statements to Mada Masr, the victims’ lawyer similarly described the case’s referral to the Military Prosecution as a message of “reassurance and warning.”

He said the decision — which he attributed to presidential directives — aimed to reassure the public and signal that “anyone who lays a hand on our children or jeopardizes Egypt’s future will be held accountable.”

When asked what prompted the referral and whether new evidence had surfaced, Ezz Eddin said the investigation had entered “an entirely new phase” and declined to elaborate.

Will a military trial prevent sexual abuse at schools?

The incident has sparked concern about safety at schools, with some arguing that public deterrence alone cannot address systemic failures of accountability.

The mother of one targeted child told the media that the problem extends beyond negligence to the school’s full “complicity.” She told the privately-owned Al-Masry Al-Youm that one defendant — a security guard — had previously faced similar accusations and had briefly been expelled before being allowed to return, criticizing the school administration for allowing his reinstatement.

The mother called for the school’s permanent closure and accountability for all responsible parties, including the school’s owner, principal, head of security, teachers, supervisors and assistants.

Nada Nashaat, ​​a lawyer who heads the Center for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance (CEWLA), told Mada Masr that long-term preventive measures are urgently needed.

Noting that the investigation began only after a child confided in her parents, Nashaat said the case highlights the importance of providing sex education in school curricula so children can understand and report abuse.

Civil society organizations should also be empowered to conduct awareness sessions inside schools, she added, with trained specialists and real oversight employed to ensure these programs are not being misused by staff.

Nashaat also argued that referring the case to the Military Prosecution is unconstitutional. Child abuse does not fall under national security, she said, and neither the school nor its employees are affiliated with the military.

The military’s role in the legal system has grown steadily since 2014, with civilians increasingly tried before military courts in a range of high-profile cases. In early 2024, legal amendments granted the president or a presidential delegate the authority to refer to the military judiciary any crimes they deem a threat to “national security” or to the “essential components of the state.”

Nashaat expressed concern that the move could even undermine civilian authorities’ competence in prosecuting similar crimes.

“Does this mean the Public Prosecution is incapable of conducting investigations, summoning suspects and bringing charges?” she asked.

Under civil law, she explained, the assault occurred under aggravated circumstances, since the victims are children and the accused were responsible for their care — meaning the Prosecution could seek maximum penalties under the Penal Code.

The issue, she said, is with the belief that civil law cannot provide sufficient deterrence. "This should lead you to a discussion about the law, not to violating it," she added.

"Do you want real change, or do you want people to be afraid? Because if fear is all you aim for, the moment you turn your back, they [perpetrators] will do it all over again."