Juliana Oluwatobiloba Olayode

Lam Shamseya: 1st Egyptian TV series to highlight child abuse

Aired in the second half of Ramadan, the drama series follows the story of Nelly (Amina Khalil), who finds out that her stepson, Youssef (Ali Beialy), has faced sexual harassment by his father’s best friend, Wessam (Mohamed Shahin). The series, written by Mariam Naoum and directed by Karim El-Shenawy, also stars Ahmed El-Saadany, Yosra El-Lozy, and Yasmina El-Abd, who plays Zina, Mohamed Shahin's daughter. Since the launch of the series in mid-Ramadan, viewers and critics alike praised its bold exploration of sensitive and timely social issues like child sexual abuse and family disintegration. The groundbreaking series has drawn Egyptians' attention to issues that have been difficult to discuss openly. Unlike other crime cases, where the perpetrator is often easily pointed out, a child abuse case is portrayed as particularly sensitive.