Egyptian teacher who killed child receives prison term

December 26, 2008

An Egyptian teacher who kicked a schoolboy to death after he failed to complete his homework has been given a six year prison sentence for manslaughter.

Islam Amr Badr, the schoolboy, died in a hospital in Alexandria with four broken ribs, according to testimony heard by the court.

In response to these allegations, Haitham Nabeel Abdelhamid, the convicted teacher, stated that he was not intending to hurt the child, he was merely intending to discipline him.

The lawyer for Abdelhamid also defended his client's actions. He stated that "Hitting [children] is not banned in schools and my client did not break the law."

The Egyptian government has announced new measures and released statements regarding 's eradication in response to this case.

Amr Badr Ibrahim, the father of the schoolboy killed, has called for more people than just the teacher to be blamed for the death. "The problem is the teaching and the teachers because they cannot find good teachers," he claimed. "The minister of education should be the first person to be accused - how can he agree to let such a young man teach children?"