Forcible kiss lands Egyptian in jail for 3 years

Cairo: An Egyptian court had sentenced a man to three years in prison on charges of sexual assault after he forcibly kissed a woman on the street, a local newspaper has reported.

The Criminal Court in Giza near Cairo also gave the defendant an extra three years in jail and ordered him to pay a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh1,922) on charges of drug abuse, Al Masry Al Youm added.

The case surfaced in August last year when the defendant blocked the woman’s way and when she tried to stop him, he pushed her to the ground, kissing and hugging her by force, trying to strip her of clothes, it said. On resisting him, he physically attacked her, the report added. The woman accused him of sexually assaulting her while walking on a public road. The accusation was verified by police investigations after surveillance cameras in the place were examined. The assailant was identified and arrested.

In recent years, Egypt has toughened penalties against sexual offences.