Egypt: 11-year-old primary school student dies after alleged assault by teacher

Dubai: An 11-year-old primary school student has died after being assaulted by her teacher, sparking a wave of anger and resentment in Egypt, local media reported.

According to media reports, the young girl suffered a heart attack after being punished by her teacher in the classroom.

Cairo 24 news portal said the incident occurred in the Assiut Governorate, southern Egypt, for a fifth primary grade student, at Abdullah Al Nadim Joint Elementary School.

The Public Prosecution launched an immediate investigation into the incident and heard the testimony of 11 classmates of the student, who testified that the accused teacher had a habit of hitting them on their hands with a stick.

The children said that when the teacher asked the victim to put her hands forward so he could hit her, she refused.

Following this, he hit her on different parts of her body, during which she began trembling.

The Public Prosecution has checked the body of the victim, and examined the school where the incident took place.

They also searched through surveillance cameras that showed the accused carrying the child unconscious out of the classroom.

The cameras showed an employee also carrying the victim and quickly leaving the school right after the incident had taken place.

During the initial interrogation, the accused denied hitting the victim, claiming that he was surprised that she fell unconscious.

The school staff tried to revive her from her unconscious state but she was unresponsive, and was immediately taken to hospital.

The Egyptian Public Prosecution has remanded the accused in custody for further investigation and no charges have yet been laid.