From the instant the news of New Cairo’s serial killer, Karim Salim, 37, broke in Egypt earlier this year, his ex-wife, Lobna Yakout, 33, was reduced to nothing more than a silent shadow in his narrative — voiceless and invisible. The media initially fixated on the statements released by the serial killer, in which he accused his ex-wife of infidelity, calling her a cheater and using a string of derogatory terms. Under Egyptian child custody law, the mother is given priority in the early years of a child’s life, with the legal assumption that women are best suited for childcare from birth until the child turns 15. In theory, this grants mothers the primary right to custody. However, while the law appears clear-cut on paper, it proved far from straightforward for Yakout. She had to endure a protracted legal battle. With the support of the National Council for Women and other authorities, as well as her lawyer Ashraf Farahat, Yakout secured a court ruling granting her custody of her son, proving her ex-husband’s accusations were baseless, according to court records reviewed by Egyptian Streets. “I’ve warned everyone, saying, ‘This…
‘I Need President Al-Sisi to Intervene’: Ex-Wife of Serial Killer Appeals for Son’s Return
December 24, 2024
