The South Daqahliya prosecutor-general has referred seven men to trial for sexually assaulting a woman in the Nile Delta governorate earlier this month.

The prosecution ordered that defendants be detained until their trial.

In early December, a 23-year-old university student accused the defendants of sexually assaulting her on a street in the city of Mit Ghamr, southern Daqahliya.

The seven defendants, whose ages range between 17 and 19, were arrested after they were identified through surveillance cameras at the scene of the incident.

The prosecution said it obtained three videos from surveillance cameras. The first showed the victim surrounded by a group of people, and the second showed her being chased by the defendants. The third clip showed her walking with a woman, an eyewitness, towards a car showroom while the defendants chased her in a car.

Five of the defendants’ lawyers filed a complaint against the victim accusing her of inciting debauchery through her photos on social media networks like Facebook and Instagram, claiming that she brought the assault on herself.

The incident sparked an online outcry in recent days, especially after the victim said on TV that she received threats from the defendants to force her to drop the complaint, but that she was encouraged to file charges after receiving support.

Many social media users have launched hashtags supporting the woman.