On Friday 21 February 2014, on the twentieth floor of the five-star Fairmont Nile City hotel, young Egyptians and foreigners were partying the night away. Framed by panoramic views of Cairo’s skyline, the flowing waters of the Nile River and the Pyramids under clear night skies, the event was described by CairoScene and Cairo Zoom as “unforgettable and unmissable”, attended by “plenty of beautiful people, and even some scantily-clad go-go dancers to round off the shenanigans”. [TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains graphic details of rape and sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.] While many attendees were leaving the byGanz TeaDance 13th Edition event safely after “partying hard to the tune of Dutch maestro Joris Voors and local fave Hafez’s brilliant beats”, a heinous crime was occurring moments away in a hotel suite: at least four men were taking turns to rape a young unconscious woman before writing their names on her limp body’s rear while a fifth man captured the rapes on video. Now widely known on social media as the ‘Fairmont Incident’ and the ‘Fairmont Crime’ (جريمة الفيرمونت), the alleged gang rape of the young woman had remained unspoken…
Gang Rape, Sexual Abuse and Threats: The Story Behind Egypt’s ‘Fairmont Crime’
August 4, 2020
