A 16-year-old has confessed to sexually assaulting and killing his younger friend in Egypt, Al-Arabiya reported on Wednesday.
The 12-year-old victim, identified as Youssef J., had gone missing last Thursday. His body was found in a deserted area within 48 hours.
The defendant, identified as Abdelrahman A., has been arrested and will face a penalty that is yet to be determined.
According to media reports, investigations revealed the perpetrator lured the victim to a farmland near Al-Jamaliyah city and made sexual advances towards him.
When Youssef resisted Abdelrahman's attempts and threatened to expose him, the latter stabbed him multiple times. On Sunday, Youssef's body was found in the farmland with wounds in his neck, abdomen, as well as other areas.
In an official statement, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced that Abdelrahman, who confessed to murdering his friend, has been arrested.
Police found bloodstains on his clothes, and a young witness testified to seeing Youssef and Abdelrahman leave together on Thursday and witnessing Abdelrahman return alone.
According to Emirati daily Al-Bayan, the case has been referred to the public prosecution and investigations are still underway.
It is worth noting that 95 percent of sexually abused children are abused by someone they know and trust, according to The Huffington Post.
Additionally, 40 percent of sexually abused children fall victims to older or more powerful children.