ICC Note: The family of a missing 18-year-old missing Christian girl in Egypt have accused the police of complicity and apathy in the case. Hanan Adly Girgis went missing on January 26, her family suspect their Muslim neighbor responsible for her disappearance. A national security investigation in response to Hanan’s suspected kidnapping, but according to the family’s lawyer, no progress has been made in the case.
02/23/2017 Egypt (WWM): The family of an 18-year-old Egyptian Christian woman, missing since 26 January, have accused the police of complicity in her kidnapping after they failed to take action against an alleged suspect who has admitted involvement.
Hanan Adly Girgis was found to be missing from the family home in Esna, a village in Upper Egypt, when some of her brothers returned during the night. After a search failed to find Hanan, her brothers and their lawyer made a formal complaint to the police, accusing a neighbour, Mohamed Ahmed Nubi Soliman, 27, of her kidnapping.
Prosecutors summoned Soliman and he admitted a connection with the incident. However, he was released due to lack of physical evidence.
A national security investigation was ordered, but, according to the Girgis family’s lawyer, Barsoum Wahba, there has been no progress with the case, despite protests outside the police station by friends and family of Hanan.
Romany Adly Girgis explained to WWM what happened on the night she went missing. He and other brothers were away from home watering crops on their land, leaving only one of them, Rezeiky, at home with his wife, their elderly mother and Hanan.
“At about 10.30pm our neighbours – cousins of Soliman – told my brother Rezeiky that they saw a thief close to our livestock shed,” said Romany. “Rezeiky took a blanket and headed to the shed to guard it for the night.”
Romany said she thinks this was a plan to make Rezeiky leave the women alone in the house.
…
