Lawyer who said women deserved rape for wearing ripped jeans, jailed for three years

Egyptian Lawyer Nabih al-Wahsh who was jailed for 3 years over rape remarks. [Photo: Courtesy]

An Egyptian lawyer has been sentenced to three years in prison for saying that women who wear ripped jeans should be raped as punishment, including his own daughter.

Nabih al-Wahsh, a prominent conservative, was also fined 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,130).

The lawyer made the remarks on a current affairs talk show in his hometown in October, during a debate on a draft law on prostitution.

"Are you happy when you see a girl walking down the street with half of her behind showing? I say that when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her," he said.

Mr Wahsh said that women who wore revealing clothing were "inviting men to harass them", adding that "protecting morals is more important than protecting borders".

The prosecutor brought charges against Mr Wahsh after a public outcry ensued.

The National Council for Women's Rights condemned the remarks, saying they were a flagrant call for rape, in violation of everything in the Egyptian constitution.

The council has now filed a complaint about the statement to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation about the broadcast which aired on 19 October.

Mr Wahsh has previously called the Holocaust "imaginary" and declared himself a proud anti-Semite.

"If I see any Israeli, I will kill him," he said during a separate TV panel show.

Despite the backlash, Wahsh refused to back down, and has even released an updated statement to another media website where he said 'his daughter would also deserve that (rape, sexual harassment) if she decided to wear jeans that are ripped from the back.

Wahsh's comments come after a recent #MeToo campaign took over social media.

Women around the world have been sharing their personal experiences using the hashtag on social media to show the true scale of sexual assault.