3 Copts killed and their bodies mutilated in Minya

From media –

A heinous crime shook Minya Governorate, as three Copts in the village of Ibshadat, Mallawi district, were shot by individuals from the village of Jaweer, which resulted in their death. It was claimed to be a “revenge” for a killing that occurred seventy years ago. The perpetrators mutilated the bodies of the victims using white weapons as they danced.

An individual, his brother and his son had been attacked with automatic weapons while they were working in the plantations, and were killed and mutilated. The victims are Youssef Youssef Youssef, Afifi Youssef Youssef, Bushra Youssef Youssef.

Essam Youssef said that his father, brother, and uncle were attacked by six people from the village of Jaweer while they were working in their agricultural field. Essam indicated that he and his family do not know anything about this revenged killing, which the perpetrators claim to have taken place 70 years ago, when his father was a child. He noted that after the heinous crime, the village turned into screaming and wailing, adding that his killed brother is married and has six children.

Essam said that one of the perpetrators surrendered to the police, saying that he committed the crime alone, and that it was for revenge. However, witnesses in the village saw six people committing the crime. He added that the village of the perpetrators turned into celebrations with drums and flutes to celebrate the killing. Essam said that three families were destroyed without guilt and without knowing anything about the subject of this revenge.

Eyewitnesses confirmed seeing the perpetrators committing the crime, who are said to be Ragab Atfat Khafagi, Ramadan Atfaft Khafagi, Emad Atfaft Khafagi, Zain Atfaft Khafagi, Ahmed Ramadan Atfaft and Ramadan Atfaft.

A source indicated that the police forces arrested a number of people for investigation. The bodies of the victims are still in a hospital awaiting the prosecution’s permission to be buried, after the completion of the autopsy by the forensic medicine.

Romani Michel, a lawyer, said: “A heinous murder took place, and the pictures of the victims show the extent of revengefulness, malice and hatred for the perpetrators. No sane person can imagine that the killer is a single person, especially since the victims are three and in their own land, which confirms what the witnesses said that the perpetrators were a group.” He added, “This heinous crime cannot be an act of revenge, because the method of killing involves the element of mutilating corpses, which does not happen in typical revenge crimes. Rather, the method shows that it was committed in the same way as ISIS, and therefore the security and prosecution must verify the truth of the motives behind the crime, in which has the « smell of murder on religious identity ».”