A new harassment incident has occurred in Egypt, involving a girl assaulted by the driver of a car linked to a recently popular ride-hailing application. The Egyptian Interior Ministry disclosed the circumstances of the case in a statement on its official Facebook page, stating that "the Al-Ahram Police Station in Giza received a report from a girl protesting against the driver of a ride-hailing vehicle for attempting to harass her during her transportation within the area."
The statement continued, "After legal procedures were initiated, the perpetrator, a resident of Fayoum, and the vehicle involved were identified and apprehended."
The girl faced harassment after booking a taxi through a new ride-hailing app called "Tawseela" in the Gardens of Ahram area in Giza. The driver placed his hand on her body, prompting her to scold him and demand he stop and let her out. However, he refused and only slowed down, which led her to jump from the moving car. She later went to the Al-Ahram Police Station and filed a report about the harassment.
In her complaint to the detectives on Monday, she mentioned that she booked a car via her phone and, upon getting in, was surprised to find the accused reclining his seat back, touching parts of her body with one hand while using the other to steer the vehicle. She forcefully reprimanded him and asked him to stop, but he refused. When he finally slowed down, she jumped out of the car, according to local media.
It is worth noting that the most recent incident concerning girls in Egypt was that of "Nabila Awad," who faced an attempted kidnapping and rape by an Uber driver a week ago, resulting in severe cuts to her hand and head. This followed the case of "the girl from El Shorouk," Habiba El Shama, who jumped from an Uber vehicle while it was speeding on the Ismailia road, fearing harassment from the driver. She later died after days in a coma from her injuries.
In response, Uber issued a statement indicating that it has taken all necessary actions against the driver, including suspending his account on the app and contacting a family member of the victim to provide all possible support. The company has also revealed its cooperation with the authorities to provide all information necessary for the investigation.
