Cairo: Prosecutors in an Egyptian Delta city ordered a psychiatrist remanded over alleged physical and verbal abuses of female patients, legal sources said Sunday, amid a heightened crackdown in the country on sex assaults.
The psychiatrist, whose name was not disclosed, was arrested and interrogated after several women had filed legal complaints, accusing him of abusing them during treatment sessions inside his clinic in the city of Tanta.
The prosecutors ordered his remand for four days pending further questioning, the sources added.
Local media reported that the man had repeatedly attempted to kiss and hug the women during the sessions, claiming that his approach was part of an innovative remedy method.
He had allegedly asked them to give him their personal photos and attempted to convince them of involvement in immoral acts as part of treatment.
In investigations, the psychiatrist denied the accusations, claiming he is the victim of a systematic distortion campaign and blackmailing from rivals.
The case comes as Egyptian authorities are investigating another high-profile case related to an alleged gang rape of a girl inside a luxury hotel in Cairo more than six years ago.
In a separate case, a young Egyptian is set to stand a criminal trial on charges of sexually assaulting and blackmailing three underage girls. The defendant has recently been at the centre of online accusations of alleged mass sex assaults.
