Raya and Sakina Ali Hammam
On May 16, 1921, Egypt was abuzz with the news of the conviction of two women and their accomplices for murders they committed since 1919. Many wondered, what drove two young women, Raya and Sakina Ali Hammam, from Upper Egypt to kill at least 17 women in Alexandria. According to reports, the police in Alexandria received quite a number of reports of women disappearing without a trace. They were disconcerted with the increasing number of missing women especially after they were told they were seen in the company of Raya and Sakina. The two kept outwitting the police, who had interrogated them a number of times. It only took a sudden move by Sakina’s landlord for the mystery to be solved.
