On September 29, 2026, the Cairo Appeal Court, sitting in the Fifth Settlement, reduced the sentence of a 69-year-old school bus driver from life imprisonment to 15 years. The driver, who worked for Qaitbay International School, was convicted of assaulting three young girls, aged between 3 and 4, on his bus route during the 2025 academic year.
The original life sentence was handed down by the Cairo New Cairo Criminal Court, which found the defendant guilty of assaulting multiple young girls on the school bus. According to the court, the defendant used his position of trust as a bus driver to gain the confidence of the girls and their parents. He would often offer them sweets and engage in conversation before assaulting them when he was alone with them on the bus.
The court heard that the parents of the three girls had enrolled their children at Qaitbay International School at the start of the 2025 academic year in October. The school offered a bus service to transport the children to and from school, which the defendant operated. As the bus driver, he was responsible for supervising the children during daily trips, and it was during this time that he committed the assaults between October and November 2025.
The court found that the girls reported being assaulted by the defendant, and their families noticed a change in their behavior. This prompted them to investigate further and have the girls medically examined, which revealed evidence consistent with the allegations. The court also heard that the defendant had used his position to exploit the girls while they were in his care.
The defendant was found to have exploited his position of trust as a school bus driver to commit the assaults. The court noted that he had used his role to gain access to the girls and carry out the attacks when he was alone with them on the bus. The reduction in sentence was confirmed by the appeal court on September 29, 2026.
The case highlights concerns about child safety and the vetting of staff in schools and other organizations that work with children. It also raises questions about how perpetrators can exploit positions of trust to commit abuse. The school has not been named in the reports, but it is understood to be Qaitbay International School.
In conclusion, the appeal court's decision to reduce the sentence of the school bus driver brings some closure to the case, but it also serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance and robust safeguarding measures to protect children from abuse. The incident has likely had a profound impact on the lives of the girls and their families.
Key points
- A Cairo appeals court reduced the sentence of a school bus driver from life imprisonment to 15 years for assaulting three young girls on his route.
- The defendant, aged 69, used his position of trust as a bus driver to gain the confidence of the girls and their parents before committing the assaults.
- The case highlights concerns about child safety and the vetting of staff in schools and other organizations that work with children.
