Egypt Jails Nine Men For Sexual Assault

Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, to visit one of the victims in hospital. Photograph: APA images/Rex Features

Seven men were sentenced to life imprisonment and two others were jailed for 20 years for sexually assaulting several women during a rally in Tahrir Square on 8 June.

The incidents, one of which was captured on video and circulated widely, caused outrage both in Egypt and overseas, and forced the authorities – who have ignored the issue for years – to take a sterner line against harassment and rape.

According to UN research, more than 99% of Egyptian women have been harrassed in the street, and activists say hundreds of protesters have been assaulted at demonstrations since the 2011 uprising.