Student Who Murdered Classmate For Rejecting His Marriage Proposal Sentenced To Death By Hanging

A student in Mansoura, Egypt, who stabbed his classmate to death in front of their college's gate after she refused his marriage proposal has received a death sentence for her murder.

The accused young man, Mohamed Adel, a third-year Arts student of Mansoura University, had expressed his desire to marry the victim, 21-year-old Nayera Ashraf, however, she promptly refused his advances.

Enraged by her response, Adel decided to take revenge and stabbed Ashraf in front of the gate of the Faculty of Arts building while she was on her way to the bus stop, heading back home to al-Mahalla, in the Gharbeya governorate.

Surveillance footage showed how Adel slashed Ashraf's neck with a knife before he was taken into custody by security personnel and passers-by.

Ashraf was stabbed several times, including on her neck and chest, according to a preliminary analysis.

She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but she succumbed to her injuries before arriving at the facility, reports said.

"I cannot process what happened nor imagine the reasons or justifications because no reason whatsoever makes somebody commit such a crime except being ill, all that comes into my mind is her family and how they received the news and their reaction," Youtuber Khalid Gas tweeted.

Testimonies of Ashraf's friends and colleagues suggested that Adel had been stalking and threatening her after she rejected his marriage proposal.

The prosecution also stated that the victim's family had previously filed several complaints at local police stations against the accused. The victim's cell phone records and text messages included death threats from Adel, prosecutors told the court.

"As long as we do not take the complaints of young women seriously, and as long as we say that those fighting for women’s rights are ‘emboldening girls and causing trouble’, this will be the result," Nehad Abo el-Komsan, a lawyer and rights advocate, said on Instagram.

On Wednesday, July 6, the Court sentenced Adel to death by hanging. Lawyers have 60 days to review the ruling issued against Adel.