Egypt won’t prosecute girl who killed her alleged rapist

CAIRO – Egypt’s top prosecutor says there are no grounds to prosecute a 15-year-old girl who killed a bus driver after he allegedly tried to rape her.

Tuesday’s statement by General Prosecutor Hamada el-Sawy said the teenager acted in self-defence.

Her case reignited debate over the treatment of women in Egypt’s legal system, particularly blaming victims of sexual violence.

The girl alleges the driver kidnapped her in a deserted rural area near Cairo in July.

She has said she tricked her alleged assailant, took away his knife, and stabbed him several times before running away.

Following her arrest, she was required to undergo a virginity test, an invasive procedure that rights groups say in itself amounts to sexual assault.

A court ordered her release earlier this month after four months in detention.