British police are under pressure to press charges later Friday when the cause of death is determined in the case of a 18-year-old student who was beaten into a coma by a girl gang three weeks ago.
Mariam Moustafa, 18, was waiting at a bus stop in February when she was accosted. Her family released video footage of Mariam cowering on a bus bench and surrounded by a gang.
Miss Moustafa died yesterday. Her uncle said he believed a group of about 10 girls had beaten his niece before she ran to get on a bus.
While Miss Moustafa's family believe she was targeted because of her race, Nottingham police said there is no information to suggest a hate crime but are keeping an “open mind”. Results of a post mortem exam are due imminently and, depending on the results, police could upgrade the investigation to manslaughter.
Miss Moustafa, who was an engineering student in Beeston, was reportedly punched several times and verbally assaulted after boarding the bus. She was initially discharged from the hospital and rushed back when she deteriorated. "When Mariam was born, I did my best for her. I come here for her future and education, for my daughter, to be engineering but now it is not fair," the girl’s father said in a statement.
The Egyptian Embassy said it had been "closely following" the circumstances of the "vicious attack" and had "expressed the need for those responsible to be brought to justice swiftly" with UK authorities.
“The deep concern of the Egyptian public is evident,” the embassy said in a statement.
Egypt's prosecutor-general has reportedly requested information about the probe.
A 17-year-old girl who was initially arrested on suspicion of assault was released on conditional bail.
