CAIRO: Egyptian prosecutors stated they’ve shelved their months-long investigation into an alleged 2014 gang rape of a 17-year-old woman by younger males from rich households at a luxurious Cairo lodge, ordering the discharge of all suspects for lack of proof.
The case shocked Egypt’s conservative society when it was revealed final 12 months by a social media account that tracks alleged sexual assaults within the nation.
In an in depth assertion late Tuesday, prosecutors stated proof collected throughout their almost nine-month investigation was not sufficient to refer the case to a legal courtroom. The assertion stated witnesses gave conflicted testimonies.
Prosecutors ordered the discharge of the 4 suspects, who had been arrested final 12 months and jailed pending investigations. Three of them had been arrested in Lebanon and deported to Cairo final 12 months. Prosecutors stated the probe could possibly be reopened if new proof emerges.
The alleged gang rape entails a gaggle of younger males from rich and highly effective households. They allegedly drugged the teenager at a celebration at a five-star Cairo lodge, then took turns raping her.
Accounts of the alleged assault surfaced amid a renewed #MeToo marketing campaign on social media that swept Egypt final summer season.
Potential witnesses within the suspected gang rape case and acquaintances had been arrested as non-public, express movies purportedly from their telephones circulated through non-public messenger apps. Some of them had been later launched.
The investigation into the lodge case uncovered one other alleged gang rape within the North Coast resort on Mediterranean. Three suspects had been referred to legal trial final month in that resort case.
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