Egyptian man reportedly stabs his wife inside courthouse during divorce dispute

Dubai: An Egyptian man has reportedly stabbed his wife inside a courthouse in Alexandria, in a shocking attack that unfolded during her attempt to file for divorce through a khula case.

According to eyewitnesses and widely circulated video footage, the incident occurred at Al Dekheila courthouse, where the couple became embroiled in a heated argument outside one of the courtrooms.

The verbal dispute quickly escalated into physical violence, culminating in the husband drawing a concealed knife and stabbing his wife multiple times in the neck and face.

Bystanders rushed to intervene as the man shouted, “I will kill her!” before the woman collapsed and lost consciousness. She was later transported to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition, according to local reports.

Police detained the assailant at the scene and transferred him to Al Dekheila police station for further investigation. Initial accounts suggest the motive was tied to the wife’s pursuit of a khula divorce, a legal mechanism in Egypt that allows women to dissolve a marriage by forfeiting financial rights and repaying the dowry.

In Egypt, khula is granted when reconciliation fails, provided the wife meets certain legal conditions, including returning the dowry and relinquishing claims to alimony. While the process is designed to protect women’s right to exit harmful marriages, critics say it often exposes them to social and familial backlash.