JEDDAH, 7 June 2006 — A court in Taif on Monday found the defendant guilty in the first high-profile domestic abuse case in the Kingdom.
The stepmother of six-year-old Rahaf was sentenced to three months in prison and 50 lashes for brutally beating her stepdaughter causing bruises and slashes on her back.
“I believe that the verdict is fair and it was announced in the presence of all parties in the case,” Rahaf’s lawyer, Mohamed Al-Salmi, told Arab News.
“The stepmother confessed that she abused Rahaf, and since confession is the mother of all evidence, it is sufficient to justify the verdict.”
Rahaf’s father was acquitted because there was no evidence to prove that he was a party to the abuse.
Al-Salmi said the stepmother’s lawyer, Mohamed Al-Honaini, is expected to appeal the ruling after the judge, Abdurrahman Al-Fatta, issues the official document of the verdict. If the appeals court approves Al-Fatta’s ruling, the defendant will go to jail.
Al-Salmi said this case is significant because it will pave way for other domestic abuse cases to appear out in the open in courts.
Victims will be now bolder to file lawsuits against their abusers, he added.
“The most important part of Rahaf’s case is that it will help prevent people from neglecting their family members and abusing them,” said Al-Salmi.
Rahaf was admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Taif in November after her teachers noticed bruises and red slashes on her body.
Being the legal guardian of the girl, the father had dropped all charges against his wife, Rahaf’s stepmother, and consequently Rahaf lost her private legal rights.
The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) took charge of the case and called for Rahaf’s mother to file a lawsuit in view of the public interest in the case.
Al-Salmi said he hopes that there will soon be a family court to handle domestic abuse cases.
The NSHR Family Committee Chairwoman Jowhara Al-Anqari has called for family courts in the Kingdom. The Ministry of Justice and the NSHR are in the process of working out the details of the family court, which would address divorce proceedings, as well as cases of domestic violence.
Rahaf’s mother is also filing for custody of the girl. The custody hearing is scheduled for Sunday. Rahaf is currently under the protection of her father’s uncle.
