Egypt’s Public Prosecution Detains Two After Eight Children Killed in Beheira

Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hamada El Sawy
Photo via CNN

The Egyptian Public Prosecution detained two men on Saturday, 30 April, one for unintentional murder and another for human trafficking, for four days pending investigation, after a motorized tricycle accident killed eight children in the northern Beheira governorate.

This came after the Public Prosecution was notified that the children, aged 12 to 15, drowned in a waterway, while they were on their way back from work in a factory.

According to the prosecution’s statement, the 19-year-old driver did not have a license to drive the motorized tricycle, which carried 12 people including the eight children. The driver said a vehicle coming from the opposite side forced him to lose control of the vehicle and crash in the waterway. However, police investigations revealed that he lost control of the vehicle after it hit a pothole in the road.

The prosecution also detained another man for human trafficking and employing the children although they are under the legal working age. The deceased children’s families said that they allowed their underaged children to work to financially support their families with living costs.

The International Labour Organization states that the latest Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) National Child Labour Survey indicates that there are more than 1.8 million working children in Egypt. However, Article No. 64 of Egypt’s Child Law prohibits the work of children under the age of 15.