In a terrifying moment, two foreign female tourists in Egypt were captured on video fleeing from a group of teenage boys who were harassing them. The 13 boys were later arrested. The incident brings into question Egypt’s ability to safely protect female tourists.
The terrifying incident was recorded and quickly became viral on social media. It shows two female tourists on holiday in Egypt surrounded by a gang of teenage boys clamoring for their attention. Some appear to be taking selfies with the striking women.
The two women were visiting the Giza pyramids when they were surrounded by this group of boys. In the video, the women are clearly uncomfortable with the situation and attempting to quickly extradite themselves from the situation. Later the group of boys – thirteen in total – were arrested and face charges in juvenile court according to one report.
Visitors of all genders to Egypt’s archaeological wonders often face challenges like the one depicted in the video when harangued, harassed, or pestered by large groups of male vendors hawking goods, and attempting to sell tours or camel rides. Female tourists are no exception and are often targeted even more aggressively. Some tourist bureaus across the world even suggest female tourists should dress modestly when visiting Egypt to avoid being accosted.
The US State Department offers this guidance when traveling to Cairo:
“Crime: Crime levels in Cairo and Alexandria are moderate. The vast majority of criminal acts against foreigners are crimes of opportunity, such as purse snatching and pickpocketing. Harassment of women, including foreigners, remains a serious problem. Incidents of harassment range from lewd comments and gestures to indecent exposure and inappropriate physical contact. Tourists should be alert to being overcharged for various services and for being victimized in scams common to tourist destinations worldwide. Tourists should expect to encounter aggressive vendors at Egypt’s shops in urban areas, as well as at the many temples and archaeological sites. Some will offer “free” gifts to tourists which, once accepted, lead to demands for money. Most sites have specially designated tourist police who can assist in uncomfortable situations.”
US State Dept.
h/t to the folks over at Secret Flying
4 comments
So… that looked very uncomfortable but the way this articles written sure makes it seem worse than it was
Dress appropriately for the country you are visiting. Egypt is a Muslim country and women visiting from other countries need to respect that.
These boys and men are the type certain political groups want flooding europe, Canada, Australia, and the U.S. To them preventing gang rapes isn’t important.
Whataya mean flooding the US 🇺🇸…woman have been raped in America since its founding ..they are passing laws now that a raped woman who gets pregnant must give birth to the child..that includes incest..