The Egyptian Public Prosecution Office announced on Tuesday that they will bring the husband of a well-known broadcaster to criminal trial for his alleged involvement in the death of his neighbor, Mohamed Moheb. The husband is accused of leaving his dog unleashed and causing the animal to attack Moheb, leading to severe injuries and ultimately, his death. The accused faces criticism for the potentially inadequate punishment, given the severity of the crime. Meanwhile, a member of the Egyptian parliament has spoken to Sky News Arabia regarding attempts to pass a law to regulate the breeding and ownership of animals, and increase penalties for neglect that leads to harm or loss of life. The current charges once morest the accused relate to negligence, and the case will proceed to the Court of Appeal for consideration. In addition to the criminal charges, Moheb’s family may request compensation. The incident highlights the need for more comprehensive and enforceable laws to regulate the ownership and treatment of animals in Egypt.
The Public Prosecution Office in Egypt decided, on Tuesday evening, to refer the husband of a famous broadcaster to criminal trial, accusing him of wrongly leaving his dog causing severe injuries to his neighbor, the young victim, Mohamed Moheb, that led to his death, while controversy arose regarding the expected punishment for the accused and its disproportion with the death of a human being.
While a deputy in the Egyptian parliament spoke with “Sky News Arabia” regarding parliamentary moves to pass a new law regulating the breeding of animals in homes and seeking to increase the penalties for any negligence that results in harm to people or the loss of their lives.
- The Public Prosecution charged the announcer’s husband with negligence and lack of caution by leaving the dog unrestricted or muzzled, which resulted in the dog biting the victim, severely injuring him, and entering a complete coma, until he died.
- The Public Prosecution Office also decided to refer the case to the competent Court of Appeal to set an urgent date for the first trial session of the presenter’s husband.
Case details
- The case dates back to last February 27, when the Public Prosecution received a notification from the wife of the victim, who works as a manager in a bank, that he had been injured and transferred to the hospital and entered a coma, following the accused’s dog (the presenter’s husband) bit him in the same property where they live in a residential complex in the 6th of October City. in Giza.
- During the investigations, the prosecution listened to the victim’s family and eyewitnesses, who said that the victim, during his return with his son to the property where they live, saw the accused’s dog loose and not muzzled on the balcony of his residence, so they were in a state of panic, and they went to the accused’s residence to ask him to tighten his ties so that no one would be injured. hurt him.
- The victim and his son knocked on the door of the accused’s residence, and a female worker opened it for them. At that time, the victim was surprised that the dog attacked him and managed to bite him without letting him go, so his son appealed to the residents of the house to help his father, so the accused’s son came out and managed to control the dog and escape the victim from him, following he was seriously injured. She called for him to be taken to the hospital immediately.
- The case was known at first that the dog belonged to the broadcaster, but the investigations proved that it belonged to her husband, and he was arrested and imprisoned pending investigations.
- The dog that caused the accident was presented to the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine in Giza for examination, which confirmed that it was free of any abnormal symptoms, that it had received all the necessary vaccinations, and a license to possess it from the competent authority, and the Public Prosecution ordered that it be deposited in a veterinary hospital, while completing the investigations.
What is the punishment?
Lawyer at the Egyptian Court of Cassation, Mohamed Islah, told Sky News Arabia that:
- The Egyptian Penal Code stipulates in Article 238 that “whoever accidentally causes the death of a person, as a result of his negligence, recklessness, lack of precaution, or lack of observance of laws, decisions, bylaws, and regulations, shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than six months and a fine not exceeding two hundred pounds, or one fine.” these two penalties.
- According to the circumstances of the case, it is expected that the maximum penalty will be applied to the accused, which is three years imprisonment, in the event that the aggravating circumstances that resulted in the death of a person are applied, and the maximum period of imprisonment is 3 years, and then it may be one or two years as well.
- There is another penalty that may be applied to the accused for the crime of letting go of a harmful animal, and this is a maximum fine of 100 pounds.
- After convicting the accused, the victim’s family has the right to request civil compensation. Here, the court may order a large compensation for them.
Parliamentary movements
Representative in the Egyptian Parliament, Maha Abdel Nasser, revealed to “Sky News Arabia” that:
- There is a draft law submitted for discussion in Parliament on the breeding and keeping of animals.
- The draft law defines the types of animals suitable for keeping or raising in homes, how to deal with them, and the entities that must license and supervise them.
- The problem of animals, especially dogs, is not in their types, but in how to properly deal with them, and this is what the new law will regulate if it is approved.
- The draft law was presented to one of the parliamentary committees and is expected to be presented for discussion soon. It provides for severe penalties for those who violate it.
- The penalties stipulated in the current Penal Code are deficient and do not commensurate with the enormity of the death of a human being and the destruction of his family as a result of the fault of another person who neglected to raise a dog.
- This incident will certainly prompt amendments to the Penal Code and other laws related to animal husbandry because they are insufficient, to the point that prompted residential complexes to implement internal regulations regulating this issue and of course these regulations do not have the force of laws.
As the case of the death of Mohamed Moheb unfolds, many questions regarding animal ownership and negligence in Egypt come to light. The Public Prosecution Office’s decision to refer the accused to trial has sparked a larger conversation regarding the punishment for such crimes and the need for better laws regulating the breeding and keeping of animals. It remains to be seen what the final outcome of the trial will be, but the incident has certainly brought attention to the importance of responsible pet ownership and the need for more comprehensive legal measures.
