In a statement late Monday, the Public Prosecution said it had received, on the evening of 20 November 2025, a report that five kindergarten children at a school within the Al-Salam Second Police Department’s jurisdiction had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by four employees on the school premises.
A team from the East Cairo Prosecution began the investigation by hearing the testimonies of the five child victims and their families after gaining their trust, noting their determination to proceed, and ensuring the confidentiality of their personal data as required by law.
The children said they were sexually assaulted after being lured by the defendants to an area of the school not covered by surveillance cameras or supervision.
They explained that some staff pretended to be playing with them, but then sexually assaulted them and threatened them with a knife, warning them of informing their families.
The Public Prosecution conducted a line-up during which the victims identified three of the defendants as their assailants.
A forensic specialist submitted a report confirming that the children had been sexually assaulted as described.
The Child Protection Office at the Public Prosecution has contacted the families of the victims to provide moral and psychological support.
Investigations are ongoing, and in this regard, the Public Prosecution urges all parties to adhere strictly to the statements it issues on the matter, to preserve the confidentiality of the investigations and safeguard the best interests of the children.
The Public Prosecution said it has obtained detailed confessions from two of the school employees, which matched the accounts given by the children and their families.
According to the prosecution, the suspects admitted that, for over a year, they and the others had routinely lured kindergarten students, including the named victims, away from supervision and cameras for sexual assault, taking advantage of their innocence and fear of threats.
A team from the Public Prosecution, guided by the child victims, inspected the crime scene and documented the process on video.
During the inspection, investigators seized the knife used in the threats, along with physical evidence suspected to be linked to some of the incidents under investigation.
One of the defendants also showed investigators how and where the assaults were committed, and this was also recorded on video, according to the prosecution.
The Public Prosecution ordered the seizure of the defendants’ mobile phones and retrieved digital evidence from two of them, which confirmed their interest in sexual acts involving children.
The prosecution also heard testimony from school staff to clarify job responsibilities, the work system, and the supervision of children.
Prosecutors opened a separate investigation into child endangerment, which is still ongoing, and ordered the pretrial detention of the defendants while investigations continue.
They also ordered that the physical evidence from the crime scene, along with samples from the defendants and the victims, be sent to the Forensic Medicine Authority for examination and the preparation of a technical report.
The prosecution also ordered that the defendants’ mobile phones and the school’s surveillance devices be sent to the Technical Assistance Department for analysis, recovery of deleted data, and the preparation of a report on the findings and any relevance to the incident.
Public outcry
The Seeds case sparked widespread anger on social media, with parents and commentators expressing shock that such assaults occurred inside a kindergarten and calling for swift accountability.
Social media users shared posts on Facebook and X condemning the “heinous crime,” questioning how such acts could happen in a school meant to ensure the safety and supervision of children as young as five.
Many parents expressed concerns about the “serious gaps” in school oversight, with several posts that criticized the absence of CCTV coverage in the areas where the assaults reportedly occurred.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education announced strict measures in response to the assaults, placing the school under full financial and administrative control until the investigation is complete.
Education Minister Mohamed Abdel-Latif has been monitoring the case from the start and instructed an urgent, high-level committee to visit the school, review its internal procedures, and assess its child-protection and supervision systems.
The committee, dispatched to the school on Friday, inspected surveillance coverage, staffing structures, and the conditions that allowed staff access to children in areas without direct supervision.
The ministry said all school officials found negligent or responsible for supervisory failures have been referred to its Legal Affairs Department for immediate action.
It also confirmed full cooperation with the Public Prosecution, which is leading the criminal investigation, emphasizing that the ministry would not take any actions that could pre-empt judicial proceedings.
In its statement, the ministry warned that any educational institution that fails to protect its pupils or meet child-protection standards "does not deserve to operate within Egypt's educational system."
It added that further punitive measures could be taken depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
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