Five Egyptian Men Get Life in Prison For Sexually Harassing Women

Five Egyptian men were sentenced to life in prison for sexually harassing and attacking women during the presidential inaugural celebrations in Tahrir Square last month. These were likely the men shown attacking a 20-year-old student in YouTube video that went viral.

Reuters reports that three other men got life sentences in another attempted rape case, and two other men were sentenced to 40 years and 20 years in jail for charges including "attempted rape, attempted murder, and torture."

Sexual harassment only officially became a crime in Egypt in June. Since then, newly-inaugurated President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has promised to make prosecuting offenders a priority, and today's sentences will hopefully deter other would-be attackers.

Still, many women in Egypt are concerned that rape too often gets laughed off. During the inaugural celebrations, a female TV host dismissed reports of sexual assault on air, claiming that the attackers were just "having fun."

[Image via AP]