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CAIRO: The Legislative Committee of the House of Representatives of Egypt has approved a bill to increase the penalty for sexual harassment.
Egypt has witnessed several high-profile incidents recently that angered many members of the public, which prompted a number of MPs to submit a special bill to increase penalties.
The bill, submitted by the Nation’s Future Party, included making the charge a felony instead of a misdemeanor, and covers anyone who harasses others in a public or private place by making sexual or pornographic insinuations, whether by sign, word, or deed by any means, including wire, wireless, electronic or other technical means.
Imprisonment for a period of no less than two years and no more than four years, and a fine of no less than 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($6,370) and no more than 200,000, or a combination of these penalties can be imposed under the bill.
Repeat offenders, meanwhile, could face up to five years in prison and a fine of 300,000 pounds, with additional breaches of the law facing even harsher sanctions of double the above penalties.
The bill stipulates that if the offender has occupational, family, or educational authority over the victim, or if they exert any pressure on them, or if the crime is committed by two or more people, or at least one of them carries a weapon, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than seven years and a fine of no less than 300,000 pounds, and no more than 500,000.
Former Egyptian President Adly Mansour issued a decree in 2014 to increase the penalty for sexual harassment.
It stipulated that a penalty of imprisonment for a period of no less than six months and a fine of no more than 5,000 pounds, or one of these two penalties, could be imposed on anyone who harasses another, according to Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk, with similar doubling of penalties for repeat offenders.