Uber taxi driver Ramy Botros has a curious defense after he allegedly put his hand down the shirt of a 25-year-old female customer: she was asking for it and in Egypt such assaults are considered justified for women wearing such outfits. This of course was in Orlando, but that did not seem to matter in this rather curious use of the cultural defense, something that I have discussed earlier.
The woman said that she noticed that the man was driving in an odd pattern and back tracking while telling her how attractive and pretty she was. He then allegedly stopped his Honda Civic and started groping her breasts.
Botros, an Egyptian immigrant, reportedly dismissed her objections and said that the fondling was harmless. She later picked him out of a photo lineup. Police say that Botros said that it was not his fault because she was “wearing a revealing shirt with no bra” and that, in Egypt, if a “girl like her . . . means she asking for that.”
Botros was only charged with a misdemeanor and released on a $500 bond. However, Uber has suspended his driver’s account. It appears that the company does not subscribe to the same cultural defense theory.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
Iconoclast: He is likely a Copt. He used a cultural defence, not religious. He’s a jerk in any religion and there are consequences to immigrant lawbreakers
In Egypt he’d go to prison. He would lose his hack licence. If reported for such things it can destroy their future. Driving a cab is kind of a last resort if you dont have any wasta to get a better job.
Just to add on a little bit, the cultural defense would seem to me to be a form of claiming ignorance of the law, which of course is no defense.
Free NYC Pics – I am starting a campaign to get rid of “ignorance of the law” thingie. With the number of laws we have on the books no person can keep up with them. Judges have attorneys brief them on the law, they are not expected to know it off hand. You don’t take a multiple choice quiz on the state code to become a state judge.
Newspaper readership is down and one of the papers of record for Maricopa County has a readership of 20000 in a county of 6 million. Clearly only a few people are interested.
Anyway, ignorance of the law is a perfectly good excuse. We just have to start using it more.
I’d like to know where ‘cultural defense’ meets ‘When in Rome’?
Need to “throw the book” at this guy and send a message to all his “countrymen” who are now in the U.S.
Deport him to Egypt. Nuff said.