Egypt: Driver of "Tuk Tuk" Arrested After Harassing American Tourist
In a swift response, the Egyptian security forces managed to arrest the driver of a "tuk tuk" who physically harassed an American tourist, within a few hours of the video documenting the incident being circulated.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced the identification and apprehension of the "tuk tuk" vehicle shown in the video and its driver, who resides in the Manshiyet Nasser area of Cairo. "Upon confrontation, he admitted to committing the incident," according to the ministry's statement, which added, "The vehicle was seized and the driver was referred for investigation."
This step came after the American tourist, Giselle Villegas, posted a video on her personal social media page, revealing that she was harassed by the vehicle's driver while visiting the Imam al-Shafi'i area, one of the old neighborhoods in Cairo. Villegas recounted that the driver demanded a sum of money from her against her will, "then physically harassed her while she was riding a motorcycle."
For her part, the American tourist expressed her gratitude to the Egyptian security forces for their quick response. She said in a post on her Facebook page: "The police arrested the driver within 5 hours of the video being posted." She added that "the security forces contacted her and asked her to come in to give her statement about the incident and to check on her and ensure that she was okay."
Villegas confirmed in her post that the individual incident does not reflect the image of Egypt, noting that she "was visiting that area, which is a cemetery from the Islamic era and not a tourist area, and she had a negative experience but received kind assistance from the locals in the area, who supported and helped her and rescued her," considering that "Egypt is a very safe place."
She concluded her statements by affirming her love for Egypt, "and that the actions of one person do not represent the nation and the people as a whole." She added that the swift action of the police, and the immediate assistance she received from the residents in the area when she screamed for help, as well as the hundreds of Egyptians who reported the incident to the police after she uploaded the video, reflect the true situation of Egypt and its people."
