A missing link

Re “A child of Cairo streets with a child of her own,” Column One, Feb. 17

Reading this article was an exercise in frustration, as I kept waiting for the real reporting to emerge about this 13-year-old girl wandering the streets of Cairo with her 18-month-old baby and another on the way.

Much was made about Cairo’s failure to recognize children born out of wedlock, but probing questions should also be directed at: “Ahmed,” the 24-year-old man who began a sexual relationship with the girl, Amira Osman Dakhly, when she was 9 years old and who is the father of her first child; “Tamir,” the 19-year-old boyfriend who is responsible for the girl’s current pregnancy; and at authorities who apparently haven’t taken any action against these men.

Surely The Times could have found out where these men were residing and questioned them about their relationship with the girl. Why was that aspect of the story overlooked?

Alexis A. Cameron

San Pedro