Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (Photo: AP)
Ambassador Khaled Rizk, Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad, said that the ministry is following up on investigations into the death of Maryam Moustafa, an Egyptian teenager who died on Wednesday after being violently assaulted last month in the UK.
"The ministry is waiting on medical reports on Maryam's condition upon entering the hospital and the forensic report on the cause of her death to seek the legal procedures in case of negligence," he said.
Eighteen-year-old Mariam Moustafa Abdel-Salam, a Central College student in the city of Nottingham, was attacked outside a shopping mall by a group of girls on 20 February and fell into a coma following the incident.
During a phone call with DMC channel morning TV program, Rizk affirmed the hospital is thought to have been negligent in treating the victim.
According to Rizk, the hospital released Maryam without proper treatment after her arrival, which caused her condition to deteriorate.
Rizk stressed that all Egyptian diplomatic missions are working closely to preserve the victim's rights and bring the responsible to justice.
"Despite her critical condition after the assault, Maryam was held for 5 hours at the hospital's emergency unit before being released. Upon returning home, she went into a coma hours later and was transferred back to the hospital," Maryam's father said during a phone call with Al-Hayah TV channel on 3 March.
According to the father, Maryam was assaulted and severely beaten by a group of girls on the street.
"She escaped into a bus but the attackers followed and beat her again and then she went into a coma and was transferred to the hospital," he said.
Nasser Kamel, the Egyptian Ambassador in London, said that the treatment of the British hospital "raises questions" and legal procedures are to be sought in case of medical negligence.
According to the Nottingham Post's website, a 17-year-old female suspect had been arrested by police on suspicion of "assault occasioning grievous bodily harm," but was later released on conditional bail.
The Nottingham Post said that a post-mortem examination is set to take place, while Detective Chief Inspector Mat Healey, of Nottinghamshire Police, said that investigation is ongoing and extensive inquiries have already been completed.
He urged anyone with information, including witnesses of the incident, which took place outside the intu Victoria Centre, to come forward.
On Wednesday evening, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said that the Egyptian consulate in London is following up on legal measures to punish the perpetrators and hold accountable those who showed negligence in providing necessary care to the teenager.
The ministry said it has been in touch with the girl's family and is taking necessary procedures to return her body home.
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