Man murdered on Egyptian beach for 'protecting' his wife from harassment

A 40-year-old Egyptian man was killed right in front of his wife after he reportedly tried to protect her from being harassed on a beach in Alexandria.

Just hours after the shocking murder took place on Friday, a video capturing its aftermath went viral on social media, angering thousands online.

In the footage, the man's wife can be seen screaming for help as he bled to death. The couple's dog can also be seen trying to fend off the man who attacked his owners.

According to Egypt Independent, Director of Alexandria Security Mohamed al-Sharif said investigations into the case revealed that the fight between the two men ensued after the victim saw the defendant harassing his wife.

However, a few eyewitnesses have since said the argument started after the defendant attacked the couple's pet dog.

*The video is available online but we choose not to share such graphic content in line with our ethical standards.

The defendant was arrested immediately after he committed the horrific crime and is currently being held for interrogation. In a statement on the incident, his lawyer said the murderer is an individual with mental illness who had recently escaped a psychiatric hospital.

He also denied news reports claiming the man had sexually harassed the victim's wife. The case will continue to be investigated as several eyewitnesses have yet to be questioned.

Speaking to El Balad News, the victim's wife denied claims of being sexually harassed by the defendant, stating that he randomly attacked her and her husband.

However, in a statement to Dream TV's "10 PM" show, an eyewitness - also the manager of the beach - gave a different statement on the incident.

In his account, the man explained that the defendant was someone who regularly came to the local beach, had always harassed beachgoers, picking up fights with people, including on the day of the incident.

"We heard him fighting with the man and his wife, he did harass them," the eyewitness said.

While the man didn't elaborate on the kind of harassment the couple was subjected to, his testimony revealed that there's more to the story than what is being told. Many on social media continue to speculate on the matter as investigations into the case continue.