Egypt asks UK ambassador for updates on investigation into death of Egyptian teen
Ahram Online, , Sunday 25 Mar 2018


Egypt has demanded updates over British investigations into the death of an Egyptian 18-year-old student,who was beaten outside a shopping mall in the UK in February and later passed away, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

"The foreign minister's assistant for European affairs, Amr Ramadan, received the UK’s ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, where he affirmed Egypt's stance on getting detailed updates on investigations being carried out by the British authoritiesinto the death of Mariam Moustafa," ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

Ramadan said Egypt asked to know the motive behind the assault on Moustafa to ensure that people behind the attack are arrested and held accountable.

Moustafa, acollegestudent, was attacked by a group of women on 20 February outside Nottingham's Intu Victoria Shopping Centre.

She was taken to hospital and placed in an induced comba, but died last week; an initialpost-mortem investigation was inconclusive.

The assistant foreign minister also hinted during the meeting at the importance of expediting forensics procedures to determine the causes of death accurately, while updating the Egyptian side on medical reports related to Moustafa since her referral to the hospital following the attack.

Separetely, Abu Zeid said in the statement that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry ordered the Egyptian consulate in London to hire an independent expert mandated with following up with procedures made by the British forensics authority and prepare an independent report over the causes of death.

Egypt's demand comes few days after British police investigating the death of Mostafa said the assault on the teenager was not racially motivated, despite initial claims to that effect, and that a number of suspects have now been identified.

Last week, Immigration and Expatriates Minister Nabila Makram has said that Egypt will insist on obtaining justice for the victim.

The statements by the Egyptian minister came one day after footage surfaced online showing the moments before the attack, where one of the alleged attackers can be heard saying "she needs to be beaten up."

Moustafa's death has sparked anger at home, with Egyptian MPs criticising the British police for the conduct of the murder investigation and alleging that racial motivations or medical negligenceled to her death.

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