The first trial session for the defendant, Mohamed Adel, will be held on Sunday 26 June, the prosecution said in a statement on Wednesday.

A video of the tragic incident, which took place on Monday, has been widely circulated on social media, showing a man who appears to be cutting a woman’s throat on a busy street in front of Mansoura University before he is attacked and restrained by bystanders.

“He was determined to kill her and followed her until he caught up with her at Mansoura University. He [then] attacked her with a knife, stabbed her several times, and slit her throat with the aim of taking her life,” the statement said.

The prosecution said 25 witnesses, including students, university security guards, and shop workers have confirmed that they saw the defendant commit the crime.

The victim’s friends say that Adel threatened to hurt her after she refused his marriage proposal, and that she had filed several police reports against him, the prosecution added.

Authorities say Adel’s phone contained several messages where he threatened to kill the victim by slitting her throat, the prosecution said.

The prosecution said that a surveillance camera showed that the assailant followed the victim, got on the same bus, and attacked her after she got off.

Adel confessed to the murder during interrogation and re-enacted the crime at the scene, the statement added.

The prosecution stressed its “resolute response” against all violence crimes, especially those committed against women and children.

The prosecution also warned against making “useless” speculations about the circumstances of such crimes with the aim of gaining attention on social media or rushing to obtain information about the crime without regard to the confidentiality of the ongoing investigation.

“The Public Prosecution will take strict legal measures against anyone who commits any of these acts, which constitute criminal offenses punishable by law,” the statement added.

The prosecution urged the public not to circulate information about the case except from its official statements, and stressed that it is keen on maintaining transparency with the public.