A young man in his mid-thirties attacks his neighbour, a man in his fifties, in the Abu El-Gawad area of Luxor Governorate, and cuts off his head in the middle of the street, then carries it and walks around with it among passers-by, mumbling incomprehensible words. A crime that shook the hearts of Egyptians and spread terror and panic on social media, but it is not the first of its kind, as Ismailia Governorate witnessed an exactly similar crime years ago, and a few days ago the most gruesome crime recurred on the Egyptian street, coinciding with an unprecedented rise in the pace of violence, in a phenomenon that has come to pose a serious threat to Egyptian society.

Violent crime has been increasing alarmingly within Egyptian society over the past years in general, and this January it seemed like a connected chain of violence that represents a dangerous indicator for societal security, according to observers who spoke to Zawia3. In addition to the horrific Luxor incident, on the same day an officer was killed inside a bank in Fayoum Governorate, and days before that society was shaken by a video that spread widely on social media showing a horrific assault on a schoolgirl by a classmate at a private school. News websites also circulated the story of the freeing of a young woman after six years of being held and chained in her uncle’s house, for having asked to separate from her husband.

Incidents of violence, in all their diversity and different geographical settings, are generating a state of anxiety among Egyptians in general, as they are alien to society and reflect an indicator of a state of social collapse, according to a number of experts and observers we spoke to. Although there are no precise statistics on rates of social violence in Egypt in recent years, as most of them focus on domestic violence, especially that directed against children and women, tracking crimes over recent years reveals a notable increase and a major shift in their type, as they have become far more brutal.

According to the ranking of the global database encyclopedia (NUMBEO), which is concerned with assessing the level of crime and the degree of safety in the countries of the world, Egypt ranks sixth in the Arab world with a score of 47.3 points in the 2024 crime index. Moreover, the organisation’s report issued in 2024 indicates that the crime rate in Egypt has risen to 60.64% over the past three years, and the statistics indicate that nearly 8 million women and girls are subjected to violence every year in Egypt. A large proportion of this figure falls under the heading of domestic violence, while the other proportion falls within the framework of societal violence, and the Egyptian Family Health Survey, issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in 2022, shows that about a third of ever-married women aged 15-49 have been subjected to some form of violence by their husbands.

Past years have witnessed horrific crimes, among them, for example, the crime of the “Fakous woman”, who in 2023 slaughtered her child, while reports spoke of her cooking him and eating parts of him. Likewise, the slaughter of student Nayera Ashraf at the hands of her classmate in front of Mansoura University shook the feelings of Egyptians in 2022, and in 2024 the case of the “Tagamoa Butcher” dominated Egyptians’ attention, after a young man was arrested for brutally killing three women after luring them to his home. Likewise, the case of the Tunisian flight attendant accused of killing her daughter dominated the scene of legal and media controversy in Egypt.

Why Is Violence Increasing?

Entessar El-Saeed, a lawyer before the Court of Cassation and chair of the board of trustees of the Cairo Foundation for Development and Law, tells Zawia3 that the reasons for the increasing pace of violence in Egyptian society in recent years can be summed up in several overlapping factors, foremost among them economic tensions, as the deterioration of economic conditions, with inflation, rising prices and higher unemployment rates, reinforces feelings of frustration and psychological pressure, which leads to an escalation of violence as a means of venting anger. In addition, poverty and difficult social conditions feed the widening gap between social classes and the weakness of basic social services such as education and healthcare, which deepens the sense of social injustice and increases aggressive behaviour.

She believes that the decline of societal values has led to changes in the social fabric and to lower awareness of human values and tolerance, which has increased the spread of aggressive behaviour and violence as part of protest or self-defence behaviour. In addition, the multiplicity of sources of weapons and drugs in some areas makes violence more common, as the means become easy and available for achieving individual or collective goals. She stresses that Egyptian society currently faces compound challenges that require comprehensive interventions in the fields of education, the economy, security and social justice to curb the phenomenon of violence.

Agreeing with her, Abdel Azim El-Khodrawy, a specialist in psychiatry, neurology and addiction treatment, attributes the increase in violence to several overlapping factors, including mounting psychological pressures and the individual’s feeling that he cannot obtain his rights except by force, in addition to some cultural notions that glorify violence as a form of heroism.

He tells Zawia3: “The stereotypical image of the hero in the media, especially in films and series that promote violence, contributes to aggravating the problem. Added to that is drug use of various kinds, from hashish to modern types such as Strox and shabu, which leads to increased violence either because of their psychological effect or because of the need for money to buy them.”

Statistics indicate that the rate of drug use in Egypt last year, 2024, reached 45.1% among the 15 to 20 age group and 34.1% among the 20 to 30 age group, which reflects the seriousness of the situation with rising addiction rates and the resulting increase in crime rates, according to a report issued by the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, which affirms that the matter does not stop at the material need for drugs, but goes beyond it to the deep psychological effects that narcotic substances produce.

Besides drugs, poverty and violence are a connected phenomenon, as expert estimates point to an increase in the pace of violence in Egypt as the level of poverty grows. According to the poverty line set by the agency, an income level of EGP 8,827 per person per year puts a person in the category of the poor, while there is an extreme poverty line, below which about 6% of Egyptians are estimated to fall; these are the people whose income is about EGP 5,890 a year.

According to a study published by “FasterCapital”, a business incubator and accelerator, there are many different factors that can contribute to rising crime rates in Egypt, most notably unemployment, drug and alcohol use, mental health issues, social isolation, and economic pressures that result in rising poverty rates and the erosion of social classes. These factors can create a sense of despair, which in turn may lead to criminal behaviour and higher crime rates.

On 25 October 2023, Heba El-Leithy, professor of statistics at Cairo University and adviser to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, explained the evolution of the poverty rate in Egypt, noting that the rate reached 31.4% in 2020-2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, then rose to 33.3% in 2021-2022 because of the Russian-Ukrainian war and rising prices, reaching 35.7% in 2022-2023.

Later, on 24 April 2024, the World Bank revealed, in a document it issued, that the national poverty rate in Egypt had risen to 32.5% in 2022. The Bank explained that the Egyptian government itself had cited this rate in its request for $250 million in financing for the Climate-Resilient Agricultural Production Programme.

According to the results of the labour force survey for the fourth quarter (“October–December”) of 2023, issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, the unemployment rate reached 6.9%, as the estimated size of the labour force was recorded at 31.101 million citizens, compared with 31.956 million citizens during the previous quarter, a decline of 2.7%, while the unemployment rate among males stood at about 4.6% of total males in the labour force, and among females at 17.7% of total females in the labour force.

Are All Criminals Sick?

Psychological disorder appears as a factor common to the majority of crimes, according to the data issued by investigating authorities. In the Luxor incident, for example, the investigations confirmed that the accused is mentally disturbed and that he does not use drugs, but many studies indicate that mental illness is not solely responsible for the increasing pace of societal violence.

In this regard, Abdel Azim El-Khodrawy tells us that “violence is not exclusive to mental illness alone. It is true that some cases of violence are linked to serious psychiatric disorders that cause the person suspicion, agitation and irritability, but this proportion is considered relatively small, as is scientifically recognised. Examples of these disorders include schizophrenia, affective disorder (also known as bipolar disorder), and sometimes depression in certain cases such as suicide, or what is known as extended suicide, which extends to include family members. In these cases, the mental illness is a triggering or direct factor in the violent behaviour.”

He adds: “It is important to distinguish between these cases and other cases in which violence results from a disordered personality structure, formed over time as a result of multiple factors, including upbringing, social circumstances and life experiences. This pathological structure leads to violent behaviour, in addition to other traits such as the inability to empathise with others, which makes it easier to harm them without feeling remorse or guilt. In this case, the person is not necessarily considered to have a mental illness in the medical sense; rather, he suffers from a personality disorder that affects his behaviour and relationships.”

Egypt has witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of mental illness in recent years, as about 25% of Egyptians suffer from mental illnesses and disorders (meaning that one in every four people examined has a psychiatric symptom or disorder), according to official data issued by the Ministry of Health (the National Mental Health Survey), which aims to measure the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, led by mood disorders (sadness, depression and anxiety) at 43.7%, followed by substance use disorders at 30.1%.

She adds that the law covers some forms of crime that may occur within the family and sets aggravating circumstances for the penalty in some cases; for example, crimes such as harassment, bullying or sexual assault, if committed by a person with a family relationship or authority within the family, or who was responsible for the care of the child or the woman, carry a doubled or heavier penalty. However, the law refers to these crimes as “general” crimes, without taking into account the gender dimension or the social sensitivity related to gender.

Hala explains that the law deals with crimes within the family or against women and children from an abstract perspective, as if they were ordinary crimes that could befall anyone, without setting special considerations related to gender. She considers that this approach shows the weakness of the law in providing real and direct protection for women and children from the violence directed against them. She points to the efforts currently being made to introduce a draft unified law to combat violence against women, considering it a good step on the right track; however, she points out that this draft needs amendments and wording consistent with the legislative amendments made recently, and stresses the importance of including provisions of a unified law to combat violence against women in any legislative amendment, to meet the needs of the groups most vulnerable to violence and to find more comprehensive solutions.

She adds that Parliament always works to toughen penalties, which is good in theory, but it lacks a focus on facilitating legal procedures, pointing out that tougher penalties alone are not enough; they must be accompanied by simple and effective procedures for accessing justice.

Hala considers that there are major problems in the legal system that obstruct the achievement of justice, as two main problems stand out: the first relates to the difficulty of legal procedures, as marginalised groups, such as women, children and the less financially able social classes, suffer from complications that make access to justice an almost impossible task. Despite tougher penalties and stricter legal texts, the complexity of procedures reduces victims’ ability to pursue their rights effectively. The second problem lies in the weak enforcement of judgements: even with strict punitive texts, perpetrators often escape punishment as a result of weak enforcement mechanisms, which reduces the impact of deterrent laws and strips them of their ability to achieve the required deterrence.

The lawyer and legal researcher adds that current laws place women in the position of the vulnerable, not because of their nature, but because the law does not recognise their need for special protection. Although the Constitution, in its Article No. 11, stipulates the state’s commitment to protecting women from violence, this article has not been turned into effective laws on the ground; women are still treated like any other group, without positive discrimination that guarantees them the necessary protection, and they stand on an equal footing with men in facing societal or domestic violence, without any additional privileges or means of protection. Doma points out that some previous initiatives, such as the National Strategy for Women or the establishment of special courts for women, have not brought about tangible change in their reality and have not affected the rates of violence directed against them.

She believes that Egyptian law urgently needs comprehensive amendments that take into account the specific nature of violence directed against women and children, along with the need to simplify legal procedures and make them more accessible, in addition to improving the mechanisms for enforcing judgements to ensure that justice is achieved. She stresses the importance of adopting a gender perspective in legislation, which ensures real and effective protection for women and marginalised groups on the ground, reflecting the state’s commitment to women’s rights and to combating all forms of violence against them.

Violence Inside Schools

It is striking that violence has reached schools and spread widely among students. Perhaps the most prominent incident in January was the horrific assault by a schoolgirl on her classmate inside a private school in the Tagamoa area, which caused serious injuries to the latter. Speaking about the phenomenon of the spread of violence among children, Abdel Azim El-Khodrawy tells us that a child is the product of his parents’ upbringing; his violent behaviour may be a direct reflection of his parents’ violent treatment, or it may arise as a result of the parents’ failure to correct his violent behaviour, and even their encouraging it in one way or another.

He affirms that confronting the phenomenon of violence begins with the foundation of society, which is the family; parents bear a great responsibility in shaping their children’s behaviour through the way they deal with them, whether through an upbringing based on dialogue, understanding and respect, or one based on violence and neglect. However, this responsibility does not fall on the parents alone, but requires the concerted efforts of the whole of society.

He adds: “Here the role of the authorities emerges in setting policies and programmes that contribute to raising parents’ awareness and educating them in sound parenting methods. The media and the arts also play a vital role in shaping positive social role models and spreading collective awareness of the importance of rejecting violence and adopting the values of tolerance and love. In addition, combating drugs of all kinds and the means of their spread is a decisive step in reducing violence, as drugs are considered a direct and indirect cause of increased levels of violence, and are often involved in the crimes and cases that stir public opinion.”

For her part, Entessar El-Saeed believes that confronting violence among children, whether among themselves or between them and teachers in schools, requires taking integrated preventive and remedial measures aimed at curbing this phenomenon and promoting a safe educational environment. These measures cover multiple aspects, the most important of which is education, as it represents the cornerstone of preventing violence; this includes teaching children and adolescents the values of tolerance, respect for others and kindness through classroom activities, workshops and educational programmes that focus on human values.

She tells us: “This requires continuous monitoring of students’ behaviour in classrooms, corridors and playgrounds, and providing an environment in which students are encouraged to express their feelings in the right way. It is also necessary to provide safe spaces within the school, such as guidance rooms or counsellors’ offices, so that students can talk to specialists if they are exposed to, or witness, a violent situation. Moreover, teachers play a decisive role in preventing violence and dealing with it. Therefore, they should receive intensive training on how to deal with aggressive behaviour and apply effective de-escalation strategies. Training them in conflict management techniques is also extremely important, as it helps them deal with tense situations before they escalate into violence.”

She adds: “With the spread of internet and social media use, cyberbullying has become a new challenge. Therefore, students must be made aware of how to behave responsibly in the digital world, in addition to being taught how to confront cyberbullying and protect themselves from it.”

Do We Blame Drama and Cinema?

Some usually lay the blame on film and drama makers, seeing them as one of the reasons that may have contributed to fostering an environment of violence in recent years, in light of the spread of some works whose heroes rely on promoting violence as a symbol of strength and heroism.

In this regard, the critic and researcher in the history of cinema Mohamed Sameh tells Zawia3 that “the relationship between violence and cinema and drama is a complex one. If we pose the question, does art create violence? To answer this question we must first think about several matters and ask more questions: are artistic works alone accused of creating violence? No, some see religion or ideology as the maker of violence, and from my point of view human violence cannot be traced back to a single cause. There are several influences, the first of which is human nature; humans have practised violence since the beginnings of their existence, foremost among them the story of Cain and Abel, and even anthropological research: whoever invented the knife and used stones and wood to kill cannot be said to be a peaceful being. The matter is relative; some people do not like violence, but mostly some are forced to practise it under certain circumstances.”

He adds: “The accusation directed at art here is against art. Some try to undermine artistic works with such accusations, as happens with religion and ideology, and some side with art but reject its depiction of violence, but I do not believe that a work of art pushes anyone to commit violence. There are many violent incidents and crimes in Egypt; this is due more to psychological and social causes, and art should reflect the violence of the street.”

He continues: “Humans’ practice of violence may be historically older than art. Was Cain influenced by a work of art when he killed Abel? Sometimes we have to accept the idea that, according to three major religions, we are the children of the killer, and even according to evolution we are the children of those who survived the struggle for survival. And we have not found anyone coming out to say that art pushed a citizen to resist violence. Cinema and drama are very dangerous tools about which everything can be said, and everything can also be denied.”

The rising pace of violence in Egyptian society reflects complex and intertwined challenges, including economic and social crises, the absence of social justice and rising unemployment and poverty rates, as well as the impact of drugs and the weakening of value-based and family cohesion. Meanwhile, experts point to the need to distinguish between cases linked to psychiatric disorders and those resulting from pressing social circumstances or imbalances in personality structure.

To curb this phenomenon, it has become necessary to adopt comprehensive policies aimed at strengthening education, improving health and social services and supporting the most affected groups. Focus must also be placed on strengthening societal values through the media and awareness-raising, while putting in place effective mechanisms to combat the spread of drugs. Addressing these issues will not be the responsibility of one individual or one body; rather, it is a collective responsibility that requires the solidarity of all segments of society, individuals, institutions and government, to ensure the building of a safer and more stable society.

Editorial correction: The first version of the report stated that the murder of student Nayera Ashraf in front of Mansoura University took place in the same year as the Fakous woman’s crime (2023); the correct information is that it took place in June 2022.

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