Social media in Egypt was abuzz with the case of a 17-year-old girl named Bassem from Kafr El Zayat in Gharbia province, who ended her life after a young man edited inappropriate images of her using photo editing software and published them. Users circulated the hashtag "Bassem's Right Must Be Restored," sharing an image said to be the girl's suicide note. Some argued that her family should have supported and protected her, while others demanded the swift arrest of the blackmailer. One account stated, "If her family had just done their part and defended her, she would still be with us, and the criminal would be held accountable. But what happened is that the criminal lives freely while the victim is dead. All the victims who went through Bassem's experience are killed by their families and society, not by suicide."
Another account commented, "This beautiful angel Bassem, 17, from Gharbia, Egypt, had a criminal fabricate pictures of her and blackmail her, and when she refused to do what he wanted 'and spread the images in the village,' no one showed her mercy from the village. The girl fell into depression and decided to commit suicide. I truly swear, it is a curse on our society, and this is her final message."
Social media also circulated a message the girl left for her mother before her suicide, in which she said, "Mom, I wish you would understand that I am not that girl and these are edited pictures. I swear this is not me. I am just a little girl who doesn't deserve what is happening to me. I have really become depressed. I am suffocating, I am really tired." As of now, no official statements have been released regarding this suicide case.
