According to hospital sources the woman, known by her first initials S.N., consumed a liquid detergent.

Talking to Arab News, the woman said she was a victim of domestic violence and she was brought to the protection home after many problems with her family and her ex-husband.

She said she was married to the man who lived in Madinah and had five children with him. She added that she was imprisoned twice since her divorce.

"After the divorce, the court gave my ex-husband custody of the children. I traveled to Madinah and took my children with me to Abha. I was imprisoned for three months on charges of kidnapping my own children, who were given back to their father after I was sent to prison," she said.

She said after she was released from prison, she went again to Madinah and brought her 17-year-old son with her. "My son had an identity card and was assigned my guardian. Even then he was sent to a correction home and I was sent to prison for a second time," she said.

The woman said she completed her jail term of four months but had to stay for an additional two months because her family refused to take her. "Because of this I was taken from the prison to the correction home, where I attempted to take my own life," she said.

The woman said the guardianship given to her son was revoked after he was sent to the reformatory and her younger sister was assigned in his place. "My sister exerted all kinds of pressure on me. She prevented my marriage to a new man when she asked him for a dowry of SR500,000," she said.

The woman said she became very desperate because of her sister and family, which is why she attempted to kill herself.

She appealed through Arab News to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Naif to end her predicament by appointing her son as her guardian or give her back to any of her four brothers.

She also sent a message to her father telling him that she was not a bad woman, but her own sister was maltreating her. "If the family is determined to disown me, at least they should allow me to run my own affairs," she said.

Chairman of the social protection committee in Asir Saeed Musa Al-Shahrani said the protection home was only looking after the woman until her problems are resolved.

"She is not a prisoner. She is only a guest. I hope that her family will change her mind and accept her," he said.