 | This article needs to be updated.(October 2013) |
Crime in Egypt refers to criminal acts taking place in the territory of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Crime in Egypt is moderate, and occurs in various forms. [1] A majority of crimes in Egypt are committed and reported in major population centers like Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, and Faiyum. [2] The Global Organized Crime Index has cited human, arms, and drug trafficking as significant issues that Egypt is facing. [3]
Crime in Egypt since the country's transition to a republic in 1953 has lacked much recording, however the 1980's are denoted as having had a great increase in criminal activity. This included numerous kinds of nonviolent petty theft being extremely common in the larger cities, such as Cairo. In addition to this, crime in the Egyptian countryside during this time period was characterized by victims working around established legal systems, to kill perpetrator for the sake of honor or revenge. Egypt is also denoted as having a serious problem with white-collar crime (such as embezzlement, tax evasion, kickbacks, black marketeering, and bribery), especially under the regimes of Anwar El Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. [4] Terrorism has also been a concern, with Egypt experiencing a spike in terrorist attacks from 2012-2018. [5]
An honor killing is the killing of an individual (often one's own family member) to protect a family's honor, and as such is often a form of domestic violence. A 2005 report states that between 1998 and 2001, 79% of honor killings in Egypt were done as a result of suspected adultery on behalf of the woman, and 41% of the killings being done by husbands, to their wives. The same report references an estimated 52 out of 819 murders reported in Egypt in 1995 being honor killings. [6]
During the 1980s, petty crime was a significant problem in Egypt, but has been declining since then. [7] Incidence of Crime Federal Research Division]. [7] Motor vehicle theft, crime by women and juveniles and incidents of kidnappings were increased in Cairo in 1988. [7] In an interview in 1989, the director of security for Cairo described poor economic conditions, high unemployment, population growth, and changes in social norms as the reasons behind higher crime rates. [7] Bank robberies, gang violence, and other violent crime were less common. [7]
Sadat established commissions for the investigation of corruption among government officials. [7] Mubarak replaced many cabinet members for inability in detecting corruption. [7] Despite such measures, economic crimes continued to be widespread. [7]
Law enforcement have been reported to be dangerously corrupt, making affiliations with tuktuk and taxi drivers break traffic laws for a charge. Also, making false warrants and unlawful arrests on suspects who are filed with cases made by paying rivals.
Rape is one of the most common crimes in Egypt. [8] The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights (ECWR) has called the problem "social cancer" and suggested that dress code is no deterrent at all. ECWR carried out a survey in 2008 which found that 83 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign women within Egypt had experienced sexual harassment at some time, and only 12% had gone to the police for complaining such issue. [9]
Mass rapes have been carried out during festivals and the Egyptian protests, and include the public rapes of women, and female journalists. [10]
Egypt is a party to the 1961, 1971, and 1988 international drug control conventions. Its national drug control laws are generally assessed as adequate. However, Drug trafficking is still a persistent problem in Egypt. Egypt is a country for cannabis, heroin and opium destined for Europe, Israel, and North Africa. [11] According to a 2003 research undertaken by the Egyptian government, the narcotics problem costs the Egyptian economy roughly $800 million per year, including amounts spent on illegal drugs and government expenditures to tackle the problem. [12] [13]
Egypt serves as a transit country for women trafficked from Eastern Europe to Israel for commercial sexual exploitation. [11] Men and women from countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are believed to be trafficked through the Sinai Desert to Israel and Europe for labor. [11] Many Egyptian children from rural areas are trafficked to other areas in Egypt as domestic servants or laborers in the agriculture industry. [11]
Egypt suffers from religious violence and terrorism, infrequent attacks both on tourists and religious minorities. Notable examples include the Luxor massacre (1997), the 2004 Sinai bombings, 2005 attacks in Cairo and in Sharm el-Sheikh, the 2006 Dahab bombings and the 2011 Alexandria bombing.
