An Egyptian prosecution has ordered a four-day detention of a 35-year-old man pending investigation into allegations that he raped a 20-month-old child in the Nile Delta governorate of Daqahliya, a case that has sparked anger in the country over the weekend, the child's lawyer Reda El-Danbouki said on Sunday. According to investigations, the suspect, who was the victim's neighbour, kidnapped the child on Friday as she was playing in front of her house in Belqas village, taking her to a secluded area and raping her. The child was later found by residents and taken to Belqas Central Hospital, where she received emergency surgery for vaginal bleeding. According to the lawyer, the child was discharged from the hospital on Sunday to be examined by medical examiners ahead of a report to be submitted to the prosecution. The suspect was arrested by police on the same day and has confessed to the crime. "The defendant was previously a suspect in a murder case, and neighbours say he suffered from a sexual obsession," El-Danbouki told Ahram Online. Shortly after the incident, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported that residents of the village attempted to burn down the house of the suspect, who lives alone. "I still can't believe it. The child's mother is in shock, and we will do our best to ensure the suspect gets the death penalty," the lawyer said. On Saturday, the National Council of Women's Daqahliya branch issued a statement calling for the maximum penalty against the defendant, with the council set to hold a meeting to discuss providing aid to the child and her family.
