Egyptian man helped harassment victim, got killed by attacker

Earlier this week, an Egyptian man was stabbed to death because he defended a woman who was being harassed in a Cairo restaurant, Masrawy reported. 

Now identified as Sayed Taha, the victim rushed to save the woman after he heard her screaming while trying to fend off a harasser. 

Angered by Taha's intervention, the defendant stabbed him in the chest and arm. The attacker was arrested soon after and has since confessed to the horrific crime.  

Speaking to local TV channel Al Mehwar, Taha's uncle shared details of the tragic incident. He mentioned that the family is seeking justice for the deceased victim, who is the father of a young girl. 

"The woman was picking something up from a restaurant next to Sayed's shop, it was around 2:30 p.m. Everyone in the street heard her screaming and people started saying she was being sexually harassed. This is a very busy street, there are so many people and shops all around. Sayed and his brother ran into the restaurant and helped the woman out. My nephew then dealt with the man who was harassing her and also walked him out of the restaurant," he said. 

"Two hours after the incident, some of the woman's relatives came and told people in the street they want details about the incident to file a sexual harassment report. Because the harassment victim is Coptic, everyone worried the case will cause sectarian tensions. So Sayed asked them not to bring police into the matter and they kindly agreed," he added.

The uncle explained that just when everyone thought the issue was being resolved, the harasser walked into Taha's store and stabbed him in the chest and arm.

Sexual harassment is an issue Egyptian women face on a daily basis. 

According to a report released in 2013 by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment.

In 2017, Cairo was named as the "most dangerous megacity in the world for women" in a poll conducted by Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A study conducted by UN women and Promundo, a Brazilian organization campaigning for gender equality, also revealed that around 43 percent of men in Egypt actually believe women enjoy getting attention and have no problem with being harassed. 

Others blame women for inciting the assaults they endure, claiming victims who wear tight clothing are "asking for harassment."

Egypt considers sexual harassment a crime punishable by law. If a woman takes her harasser to court and he is convicted, he can face a minimum of six months in prison. 

If a harasser is found to be a repeat offender, he could potentially face up to five years in prison. 

The issue isn't only widespread in Egypt though, it's also prevalent in other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Bahrain.