The National Council for Women (NCW) released a statement on Sunday praising the police for the arrest of the killer of Eman Mustafa an Assiut village-girl shot dead by a man who it is claimed was sexually harassing her. The head of the NCW, ambassador Mervat Tallawi, said the arrest is a deterrence for anyone who commits such crimes. The NCW urged the Ministry of Interior to apply law number 11 (year 2011) amending the penal code to punish any harasser by jailing them for a period ranging from six months to two years and/or fining them with at least EGY 2000 pounds. Police arrested Ramadan “Shouna" Nassar on Thursday, he denied sexually harassing Mustafa, adding that he shot her “by accident." “I said hello as I was passing her by in the street, only to have her curse and spit at me," Nassar told Masr Al-Gedida TV show on Al-Hayah channel, swearing several times that he had not harassed her. “I shot at the wall; when she fell on the ground, I thought she was just frightened." 16 year-old Mustafa was walking with a friend in Cablat village, Assiut, when it is reported that she was sexually harassed. According to Al-Arabiyya she turned to face her harasser, spitting at him and vowing she would claim her “rights" back, only to have him beat her and then shoot her with an automatic rifle. Assiut security director, Major General Mohamed Ibrahim, said an automatic rifle and ammunition were found with Nassar upon his arrest near a mountainous area, according to independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm. The investigation also revealed Nassar had previously been accused of murder, attempted murder, and resisting authorities.
