JEDDAH, 25 May 2005 — Medical investigations have revealed that a 14-year-old Sudanese girl who was allegedly kidnapped was still a virgin even though she said she had been raped.
Saudi papers reported last week that the girl, Hind Karar, had returned home after being away for 70 days.
Karar claimed that she had been kidnapped twice. First, according to her, she was kidnapped by four men while she was on her way to a school for memorizing the Qur’an. She said the four men held her for several days, raped her and then left her in the street. When she sought help, Karar said that a man in a BMW picked her up and also — as she alleges — raped her.
Medical investigations, however, have shown no evidence of rape.
Hassan Dahish, a criminal lawyer, said the case had two elements. If the investigations prove that the girl was not kidnapped but ran away from home, she will face some charges and perhaps be taken to a juvenile detention center or a juvenile prison. If, on the other hand, the men are caught and found guilty of kidnapping, then they will face serious charges.
Dr. Hassan Abu Hamid, a psychiatrist, said perhaps the girl was having trouble at home and decided to run away to escape it. “Some children and teenagers go through a period when they feel they dislike their parents and think the outside world is better and more comfortable than their homes.”
Dr. Abu Hamid said parents should make every effort to help their children get over these feelings and to stay close to them. “Any child is glad to find a good listener and in the case of many men, they play the role well, especially when it comes to girls.”
