Khaberni - The Egyptian Public Prosecution ordered the imprisonment of 4 defendants pending investigation into the death of the young swimmer Youssef Mohamed at the Republic Championship for under 12 years, after their responsibility was proven.
The investigations of the Public Prosecution revealed other shocking details of the incident, which shocked the sports community due to the player drowning during an official championship unnoticed until some time had passed, in addition to the absence of rescue teams and medical equipment.
The investigations revealed that the child Youssef reached the end of the race before he collapsed and sank to the bottom of the pool without being noticed by the rescue officials or the judges, and his condition was not discovered until 3 minutes and 34 seconds had passed during the launch of the next race.
The investigations mentioned that there was a medical team present at the site of the championship, which included an intensive care doctor and a swimming federation doctor and an ambulance, but it was proven that the Egyptian Swimming Federation and the El-Zohor Club (to which the player belonged) did not comply with the sports law regulations, especially concerning the medical code for players issued by the decision of the Minister of Youth and Sports No. 1642 of 2024, as the child's medical file lacked mandatory reports and procedures for participation in the championship.
The Public Prosecution ordered the provisional imprisonment of the chief judge and three members of the rescue team due to their direct responsibility for the player Youssef's death due to negligence. It also decided to expedite the forensic report and to hear its preparation, and everyone revealed by the investigations.
The Public Prosecution decided to summon the president of the Egyptian Swimming Federation and specialists, and officials of the El-Zohor Club, to complete the investigations into the incident of the death of player Youssef Mohamed in the Republic Championship for swimming due to negligence.
The Public Prosecution continues its investigations into the incident after receiving a report on December 2, regarding the death of the player Youssef Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Malik (12 years old), during his participation in the Republic Championship for swimming held at the Cairo International Stadium swimming complex.
The Public Prosecution examined the scene of the incident and found no effective surveillance cameras inside the pool, then moved to the headquarters of the Egyptian Swimming Federation and seized the medical file of the deceased, as well as a video clip documenting the full details of the incident. It also secured the recording devices of surveillance cameras, and all documents organizing the procedures and medical supervision of the championship.
The prosecution also examined the body of the child at the hospital and commissioned the Forensic Medicine Authority to determine the cause of death, ascertain if there were any illnesses that would prevent his participation, and also verify the medical procedures taken after he was retrieved from the pool.
The prosecution heard testimonies from the victim's father and a number of witnesses, who confirmed the negligence of the championship organizers, rescuers, and judges. It also heard statements from more than 20 witnesses from sports and medical entities, who agreed on the apparent negligence of the chief judge and the rescue team.
