In recent years, cases of the disappearance of underage Christian girls in Egypt, particularly in Upper Egypt, have been on the rise, sparking widespread concern within Christian communities. Families often claim that their daughters have been forcibly disappeared, coerced into customary marriages, and converted to Islam. However, experts argue that social and psychological factors, such as abuse within the family or the desire to improve one’s social status, play a role in some cases of underage girls fleeing their homes. According to these analyses, some Muslim adults exploit these girls financially and emotionally, taking advantage of their need for protection. Many end up in customary marriages or sexual exploitation, with rapid changes to their identities facilitated by religious organizations.
The crisis, however, extends beyond the disappearance of girls to become a space for manipulation and fraud. In many instances, individuals contact the families of missing girls, claiming they can secure their return through connections with security agencies or the media, in exchange for large sums of money. This exploitation exacerbates the suffering of families, who find themselves subjected to defamation and misinformation. The increasing religious fervor in society complicates efforts to locate the missing girls, leaving significant psychological and social harm in its wake, according to testimonies documented by Zawia3 from affected families.
Human rights reports have noted a significant rise in the disappearance of Christian women in recent years, with growing accusations of coercion to change their religion. Documented reports recorded 12 cases in 2015, with the number of alleged cases jumping to over 30 in 2024, compared to just eight the previous year. The Coptic Solidarity organization documented 12 cases of missing Christian girls and women from various regions last year. Of these, ten returned home, while official records from Al-Azhar indicated 396 cases of Christian women converting to Islam, based on the sequential numbers of conversion certificates.
A Cairo-based human rights center official, who requested anonymity, stated that the number of unreported cases of missing Christian women received by the center this year ranges between 2,000 and 3,000. The official noted, in a statement to Zawia3, that these cases were recorded within two weeks of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s announcement of a third term in office.
The official added that many of these cases involve underage girls. Families expressed gratitude to security agencies that helped locate and return their daughters. However, the official pointed out that investigations into half of these cases took several months, reflecting logistical challenges in addressing the phenomenon.
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Conversion to Islam and Reversion to Christianity
Nada Sobhy, a girl from Minya, shared her story with Zawia3 about leaving her home and the events that followed. She revealed that a friend of one of her brothers, in collaboration with a member of a religious association, helped her leave her home. She later appeared in a video wearing a niqab and announcing her conversion to Islam. Nada added that the man who provided her with shelter, along with his wife, was aware of her chronic epilepsy and her need for regular treatment. The man proposed marriage to her just days after she left home, prompting her to seek help from her brother’s friend, who moved her to a safe location until police intervened and returned her to her family.
Ashraf Helmy, an activist focusing on Christian issues, believes that groups specifically target underage Christian girls using psychological and social means to push them toward converting their religion. He noted that these cases are often documented in videos showing the girls reciting the Islamic declaration of faith while wearing hijabs. Some eventually revert to Christianity, sparking debates over the nature of these incidents.
Helmy added that these cases reflect complex social issues requiring transparent and fair handling. He warned that the lack of clarity in addressing such cases could fuel societal tensions and lead to multiple interpretations, negatively impacting the spirit of citizenship.
Some families face difficulties in filing official police reports about their missing underage daughters. In one instance, Jessica Samir, a 16-year-old girl, went missing in July from her home in Ezbet Al-Nakhl, Cairo. Her family’s attempt to file a missing person report at Al-Khosous police station was denied on the grounds of needing to review surveillance footage. Legal experts have described this as a form of security bias.
In an interview with Zawia3, the mother of one missing Christian girl shared her experience at Al-Khosous police station. She recounted how her daughter was subjected to psychological pressure after forming a romantic relationship with a man who married her in a customary ceremony and hid her at his first wife’s home in Ismailia. The mother stated that some police officers used psychological tactics to force her to provide information. Her eyes were blindfolded during questioning before her daughter was officially returned to her family. She accused one officer of tearing up the customary marriage contract without the family’s consent, preventing them from identifying and legally pursuing the husband.
A relative of another underage Christian girl who returned home after converting to Islam described how she suffered from psychological distress after being missing for more than 15 days. He noted that her family and friends gathered outside Al-Amreya police station in Alexandria to protest the police’s refusal to file a missing person report. The case eventually escalated to the Beheira Diocese, which contacted the office of Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, as well as the presidency and Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb. After submitting the necessary documents, her conversion to Islam was annulled, and she returned home.
Article 289 of the Penal Code stipulates that “kidnapping a child without deceit or coercion shall be punishable by imprisonment for up to ten years.” Article 290 states that “anyone who kidnaps a person through deceit or coercion shall be sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for not less than ten years. If the kidnapping is accompanied by a demand for ransom, the sentence shall range from 15 to 20 years. If the kidnapped person is a child or female, the sentence shall be life imprisonment. The perpetrator shall face the death penalty if the crime is accompanied by rape or sexual assault.”
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Concealment of a Crime
Ahmed Abdou Maher, a lawyer at the Court of Cassation and an Islamic thinker, told Zawia3 that customary marriages to minors are illegal and void under the law, categorizing such cases as statutory rape. He added that the penalty for such crimes is up to seven years of imprisonment. Maher emphasized that actions like tearing up customary marriage contracts by police officers constitute attempts to cover up crimes involving kidnapping, exploitation, and sexual assault of minors.
Maher pointed out that the issue of disappearance is not limited to underage girls but also includes underage boys. He cited the case of a 17-year-old boy who was involved in a sexual relationship and was forced to convert to Islam under threats from the girl’s family. These cases, he said, tear apart the social fabric of Christian families, underscoring the need for fair and impartial enforcement of laws in line with Islamic principles, which reject leniency in the rights of minorities.
While some security measures have successfully reunited missing underage girls with their families, human rights lawyers argue that security efforts alone are insufficient to curb disappearances or prevent exploitation. They stress the need for comprehensive systems that address the root causes of these issues, providing practical solutions to the social and legal challenges facing Egypt’s Christian women.
