UK tries to soothe Egyptian anger over mob attack death

LONDON — London tried to reassure Cairo on Friday that Britain's police were investigating the death of an Egyptian girl, the victim of a mob attack which triggered outrage in her homeland.

Engineering student Mariam Moustafa, 18, was "punched several times", in the street in Nottingham, central England, police said, by a group of "threatening and abusive" women, before being followed onto a bus by the same gang.

Partial footage of the February 20 attack, filmed at the back of the bus, has been circulating on social media.

Moustafa was left in a coma and died of her injuries on Wednesday.

Her death provoked anger in Egypt, notably on social media websites.

Cairo's embassy in London said the "deep concern of the Egyptian public is evident" and called for those responsible to be "brought to justice swiftly".

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Friday that he was "deeply saddened by the death".

"My condolences to Mariam's loved ones. I have assured Egyptian Foreign Minister [Sameh] Shoukry that Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the case."

The teenager's father Mohamed Moustafa, 50, said: "I want justice for my daughter — not just my daughter, but also so this doesn't happen to another girl or another boy.”

"My daughter was like an angel. She would do anything for anyone. She meant the world to me."

Nottinghamshire Police said it was treating the attack "very seriously" and was "working hard to establish the circumstances".

Responding to the thrust of social media posts, it said there was currently "no information to suggest that the assault was motivated by hate, but we continue to keep an open mind".

A 17-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and released on bail.