Khaberni - In a tragic incident, the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity referred the head of one orphanage management to the public prosecutor for exploiting a number of children in acts contrary to morals, displaying them, and handing them over to strangers without legal authorization, in exchange for financial benefits.
The owner and manager of the orphanage have been detained for 4 days
In a rapid development, the New Egypt prosecutor ordered the detention of the owner and manager of an orphanage for 4 days pending investigations into the indecent assault of a number of children within the establishment and ordered the examination of surveillance cameras to reveal the circumstances of the incident and a medical examination of the children.
Details of the Incident
The details trace back to the indecent assault and physical exploitation of children in one of the orphanages in New Egypt, discovered by the Ministry of Social Solidarity after intensifying monitoring and regular supervision of care homes. Inspection teams noted the absence of 4 children not officially registered in the home's logs and their absence from the home, raising suspicions about their conditions and prompting the ministry to conduct extensive investigations to ensure their safety and whereabouts.
Exploitation of 4 children
Investigations revealed that 4 children were residing with a donor to the home, completely outside its jurisdiction, in clear violation of the regulations governing care homes. This necessitated immediate coordination with the public prosecutor to verify the circumstances of the incident and understand its legal and humanitarian dimensions. The children were returned to the care home to ensure their safety, concurrently with the necessary administrative and legal actions.
Public Prosecutor's Intervention
In a statement today (Sunday), the Ministry of Social Solidarity confirmed its full coordination with the public prosecutor and all concerned agencies in the face of any violations within care homes, following the discovery of a human trafficking incident led by the management of one of the orphanages. The ministry affirmed that protecting children in care homes is an inherent right that is non-negotiable, and that it will not falter in addressing any breach that compromises their security and safety.
The ministry clarified that the incident under investigation by the public prosecutor involves the discovery of a human trafficking network led by the director of an orphanage and a businessman who used to finance the home's residents from his own money in return for exploiting them in acts of debauchery inside his apartment in the New Egypt area.
Sudden Inspection
The incident was discovered during one of the sudden visits conducted by the ministry through judicial police committees to care homes for several months, in cooperation with the public prosecutor.
The ministry revealed that the incident involves the director of the home handing over 4 children to a person under the guise of domestic sponsorship, without any legal basis or approval from the competent authority, in a serious and explicit violation of all laws and regulations governing child care. This exposes them to the risk of maltreatment and exploitation, constituting a complete case of human trafficking, according to the provisions of Egyptian law number 64 of the year 2010 concerning combating human trafficking and its executive regulation, which explicitly criminalizes the handing over, transfer, or exploitation of children outside legal frameworks, and increases the penalty if the victims are children or priority care groups.
No leniency or cover-up
The statement emphasized that the Ministry of Social Solidarity will not show leniency or cover-up any breach or negligence within care homes. Alongside the judicial investigations, strict administrative actions were taken from the moment the incident was discovered, including referring all employees responsible for monitoring the home for investigation, according to the report submitted by the General Administration of Family and Institutional Care, in preparation for imposing the severest legal penalties in case any responsibility or negligence is proven.
The Ministry affirmed that protecting children in care homes is a non-negotiable right, and it is determinedly applying the provisions of the law against human trafficking and all laws regulating the social care system, in full coordination with the public prosecutor and all relevant state agencies, to deter any attempts to exploit children and to hold accountable anyone who dares to tamper with their rights or expose them to danger.
