JEDDAH — A forensic report released yesterday on Rakan, the six-year-old boy who was allegedly abused by his mother, says that there is no evidence to prove that he was abused. According to the report, the scars on the boy’s hands occurred on different occasions and have not been caused by any type of abuse.
Ibrahim Al-Zamzami, a lawyer representing Rakan’s mother, told Arab News that the scars are old and that there is no specific details on how he was hurt.
Al-Zamzami said it is impossible for a mother to abuse her own child. “Rakan’s mother loves him and she is in a bad condition as a result of the shock she suffered having read things about the case in the local press,” he said.
Al-Zamzami said another medical report proves that the bald patch on Rakan’s head is from an injury he suffered when he was two years old.
“When Rakan was supposed to see his mother in court, he ran away because he couldn’t identify her as she was veiled. I urge the concerned sectors to intervene and examine Rakan’s psychological state,” he said.
The lawyer said both Rakan’s paternal and maternal families are victims of media hype. “I will ask the minister of culture and information to stop this farce,” he said, referring to the negative media coverage of the case. “The forensic report proves Rakan’s mother is innocent.”
Ghalib Al-Barakati, Rakan’s paternal grandfather, also said the media exaggerated the case. “When my son married Rakan’s mother, they moved in with me. However, my daughter-in-law didn’t want to live with us in the same house and so my son rented an apartment and moved there. I didn’t know anything about them for more than two years,” he said. “One year later, Rakan’s parents separated and she moved in with her father.”
Al-Barakati said he received a call from Al-Nour Hospital in Makkah asking him to come and see his grandson. “I had no clue about Rakan until that moment. The boy was lying unconscious in hospital because of a head injury that he suffered after hitting a table,” he said.
The governorate had instructed Al-Barakati to take custody of Rakan while his mother’s mental condition was being determined. The judge in the custody case that ensued after the parents’ separation issued an order asking for Rakan’s mother to be examined. A psychological report was presented showing that she was able to take care of her son and so the judge ruled in her favor.
“The court allowed us to see Rakan twice a month. We had two visits in the beginning and the middle of Muharram. We were surprised to see marks on his hands during later visits. When I asked Rakan from where he got those marks, he replied that his mother keeps him in a small room and abuses him if he goes out,” he said.
According to Al-Barakati, Rakan and his mother live with his maternal grandfather, who has given them a small room in his house.“We went to the Human Rights Commission to complain but they told us to go to the Investigation and Prosecution Board, which also refused to take up the case. They asked us to go to the police or the governorate,” Al-Barakati said.
“The Investigation and Prosecution Board has approved for Rakan to stay in my custody with the consent of both the father and the mother, while they continue to follow the case,” he added.
The HRC last Wednesday called for Rakan to be presented in court to ask him about the marks on his hands. “I don’t even know what they asked him. I was informed later that he said that his uncle (from his father’s side) and another man and a woman are behind the marks on his hands,” he said.
Al-Barakati insisted that Rakan’s mother is behind the abuse, not his uncle.
Judge Saleh Al-Tawalah has asked the prosecution to present all evidence and medical reports on the case, which has been postponed after Rakan refused to return to his mother.
