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Lams Shamsiya
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The Unspoken Issue in Child Sexual Harassment
In the Ramadan race of 2025 for Ramadan TV series, the Egyptian series "Lams Shamsiya," by writer Mariam Naoum and director Karim El Shenawy, addresses the phenomenon of child harassment and the harm it inflicts on victims, as well as how parents deal with the issue—sometimes with support and at other times with disbelief—especially when the harasser is someone close to the family and it is unexpected for them to be the perpetrator.
In this context, the teacher Nelly, played by actress Amina Khalil, discovers that several children are being harassed at school. She tries her utmost to support them and find solutions to defend them, including acknowledging the problem and addressing it with the support of those around her, while emphasizing the need to strengthen the relationship between parents and their children to protect them from this issue.
According to writer Mariam Naoum, the aim of "Lams Shamsiya" is to highlight the importance of parents listening to their children and giving them a sense of safety so they can speak without fear. She explains that previous generations were raised with the notion that everything is shameful and forbidden to be disclosed. Regarding the choice of the title "Lams Shamsiya," Naoum stated that the title symbolizes the unspeakable, reinforcing that this problem exists, but no one speaks about it!
Child Sexual Harassment
The World Health Organization defines sexual harassment of children as involving a child in a sexual activity they do not understand, making it a form of child abuse. It can start with sharing images and clips, leading to verbal harassment and then pressure and coercion, potentially escalating to social intimidation, physical force, and rape.
In contrast, UNICEF confirms that it is difficult to identify sexual offenders because they often do not raise suspicion or exhibit obvious signs, and in many cases, the perpetrator is the last person we would expect to commit such an act, as they are a family member or a close friend considered trustworthy by both parents and the child.
The Incident of Harassment in "Lams Shamsiya"
The work reveals one of the sensitive issues in society: child sexual harassment, highlighting its psychological repercussions on victims amidst silence and fear that may hinder the child from disclosing the truth.
The child Youssef, portrayed by child actor Ali Al-Bayli, faces harassment from Wissam (Mohamed Shaheen), a family friend, ideal teacher, and university lecturer. However, he harasses Youssef during private Arabic lessons, a trusted method of reaching children and isolating them under the social cover of being in a safe place, the home. Wissam dominates Youssef under the pretense of love, insisting that this game is a secret between them.
On the other hand, the daughter of the cleaning lady, who works in the house of the harasser’s mother, is brought along by her fearful mother to avoid her being alone at home. Wissam volunteers to tutor her, becoming the second victim.
As for the harasser’s wife, Rabab (actress Yousra Al-Louzi), after discovering her husband’s true nature, he pressures her and restricts her movements, convincing her that she suffers from mental issues as a cover for his actions and intensifying her intake of sedatives to keep her asleep. Thus, a confusing question lingers in her mind: Did her husband Wissam violate their daughter's body?
Who's Responsible?
It is essential to point out that there are factors and influences responsible for child harassment beyond the actual harasser; everyone is complicit, directly or indirectly, in perpetuating the harassment of Youssef.
In the first episode, the school principal tells Youssef after he fails to comply with school rules: "You can't say no to adults." This phrase caused Youssef not to oppose the harassing teacher.
Youssef's father, Tarek (Ahmed El-Saadany), leaves responsibility to his second wife Nelly and pursues his whims to weave a romantic relationship with his colleague, neglecting domestic matters and automatically shirking his responsibilities towards his family.
Youssef's real mother leaves him to the care of his stepmother, who raises him properly. However, upon discovering the harassment, she blames the stepmother entirely, accusing her of failing in her parental duties.
The mothers’ denial of the reality of their children’s harassment leaves the harasser free to act without accountability. Ultimately, the perpetrator blames his mother entirely, accusing her of neglecting his upbringing in favor of her work.
The Teacher Harassment Issue is an Ongoing Concern
In fact, the issue of private lessons and harassment of students has been raised before in literary works. An example is the novel "Toward Beauty" by French novelist.
Raqiya Al-Alami
