The Damanhour wake-up call Egypt can’t ignore

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting the child identified as “S” at Karma Language School in Damanhour. The case continues to reverberate, however, inflaming sectarian divisions and drawing religion into the public discourse to incite and mobilize, all fueled by poor handling by the parties.

The accused is Christian, the victim is Muslim, and the school is owned and operated by the Diocese of Beheira.

The trial quickly took on the form of a contest between two camps: one declared victory with the harsh sentence at the first hearing and demanded it be extended to include the school’s administration; while the other saw itself as ill-treated and insisted the defendant had been denied a fair trial.

The verdict cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader context: protests erupted in the city’s streets, and sectarian rhetoric escalated both online and offline. The lead-up to the trial was marked by inflammatory statements after the child’s original attorney stepped down. Prominent lawyers stepped in and used the platform to incite against Christians more broadly. In response, the defendant’s legal team circulated excerpts from the case files in an attempt to prove the accused’s innocence.

The school’s mistake

The crisis was exacerbated by the school’s mishandling. From the outset, it failed to take a neutral stance or act responsibly. It was in the school’s interest to establish the facts, publicly communicate them, and refer the matter to investigators. Instead, its unqualified support for the accused raised serious questions about whether he was an employee or had strong ties to the administration.

The school also has a duty towards the child, who remains the more vulnerable party. It should have taken the family’s complaint seriously and offered support, steps that would have bolstered its credibility and protected its reputation.

A single incident of abuse does not automatically indicate a systemic pattern, nor does it justify condemning all the teachers or staff. Likewise, it’s unreasonable to assume the child’s parents fabricated the incident, which would leave deep, long-lasting psychological scars, simply to tarnish the school’s image, promote a sectarian agenda, or pursue personal gain.

The security response also fell short. It was slow and failed to reflect the gravity of the situation. At its core, this case involved a child—an individual unable to defend himself or seek help—and the crime allegedly occurred in a school, a place meant to provide protection and education.

The case’s stakes were further heightened by the religious identities involved and the school’s affiliation, adding layers of communal tension to an already volatile situation. In a socially conservative rural setting, such factors significantly heighten the case’s sensitivity. Sexual assault, particularly against children, is often regarded as a source of deep communal shame.

The sectarian cycle

The cycle is completed by a lack of accurate information and transparency, allowing rumors and sectarian incitement to spread. Social media was rife with unverified claims: other alleged incidents at the school, alleged collusion by staff, and even accusations that Beheira’s governor—a Christian woman—intervened to prevent the prosecution.

These claims fueled the flames, especially during protests in support of the child that coincided with the trial. The result was a noticeable rise in sectarian tension.

The sectarian undertones became more pronounced after the defendant received the maximum sentence in the first session—an outcome that followed amendments to the charges and statement of case. The decision triggered a polarized response. Some hailed it as a triumph for truth and justice, while others denounced the verdict as flawed and lacking sufficient evidence.

Detractors pointed to the prosecutor’s two previous decisions not to pursue charges, or cited the defendant’s advanced age and poor health, which they argued made the crime implausible.

Further complicating the situation, some individuals shared excerpts from forensic reports containing personal details about the child, violating his privacy and causing direct harm.

The case raises broader concerns about how similar incidents are handled—especially if the religious identities of those involved were reversed. The infamous case of Souad Thabet, dubbed “The Lady of Al-Karm,” is a stark reminder.

Despite her old age, she was dragged naked through the streets after rumors spread about her son’s consensual relationship with a Muslim woman. The public prosecutor initially decided there were no grounds to bring a case, but her legal team pushed for a reinvestigation. It was eventually referred to the Minya Criminal Court, which acquitted the defendants four years after the incident in a verdict upheld by the Court of Cassation.

Lessons to be learned

This case should serve as a wake-up call for the need to implement clear policies for handling sexual harassment and abuse, especially involving children. Educational institutions must establish transparent complaint procedures, train staff to support victims, and protect them from intimidation or retaliation. This highlights the crucial role of psychological and social support professionals.

Introducing sex education could also help address widespread ignorance and misinformation, and offer children tools to protect themselves. This is not a new idea. It resurfaces periodically, but the Ministry of Education has yet to seriously explore it.

Moreover, investigative procedures in sexual assault cases need to be revisited. These crimes rarely have witnesses and are often committed discreetly, leaving few clues behind. Investigators require better tools and methods to identify perpetrators.

Above all, transparency is a citizen’s right—one that becomes even more important in sensitive cases. Transparent handling can serve as a bulwark against sectarian incitement, which, if left unchecked, could lead to catastrophe.

Egypt has seen this before. Villages in Abu Tisht, Farshut, and Nag Hammadi experienced widespread sectarian violence following the accusation of a Christian man of assaulting a Muslim girl. The tensions eventually led to the 2010 Coptic Christmas Eve massacre in Nag Hammadi.

The sectarian nature of the Damanhour case must not be underestimated. The alarm bells are ringing. The risk of escalation is real—especially given persistent narratives that frame Christians as a monolithic “tribe,” collectively responsible for the actions of any one individual. This same logic often demands that all Muslims rally behind any Muslim victim, regardless of personal ties, deepening polarization and threatening national unity.