Married Couple Sentenced to Jail After Bullying Disabled Neighbour

A married couple in the governorate of Al-Sharqia has been sentenced to six months in prison each, along with a EGP 1,000 bail, after being found guilty of bullying their disabled neighbour.

The verdict was issued by the Minya Al-Gham Misdemeanor Court on December 1st, during the first session of their trial. The defendants, Mutataz H. and his wife, were accused of insulting, ridiculing and threatening Ibrahim P., a person with disabilities, on July 30th. The court concluded that the couple's actions led to the victim’s emotional distress and social exclusion.

The altercation began when Ibrahim, who has a disability in one hand, parked his car in front of the defendants' house. What began as a minor disagreement quickly spiraled into verbal abuse and harassment. Ibrahim later filed a formal complaint with the Minya Al-Gham police station, accusing his neighbours of making demeaning comments about his disability, threatening him, and subjecting him to ridicule.

Following an investigation led by Major Ahmed Attia, Assistant to the Investigations of the Minya Al-Gham Center, the allegations were confirmed, prompting the prosecution to refer the case to court. The trial culminated in the sentencing, presided over by Counselor Mustafa Ibrahim.