The Saudi Prosecution and Investigation Commission (PIC) is looking into why the girl, identified only as Nour, was taken into custody by the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Women’s Supervision Office in the Eastern Province.
Her adopted father claims it is because the office heard he had separated from his wife, a rumor he said was baseless. He also denies charges that he kidnapped the girl from the shelter.
Nour added that she had not had any problem with her adopted parents since she had been living with them, Al-Madinah daily reported on Thursday.
She also claimed that she ran away from the shelter, managed by the office, on her own after being mistreated there. Her father was released on bail after spending two days in police custody.
“There was no justification for the act on the ground of a baseless claim that the girl was alone after a separation between me and my wife. My wife left home simply to take care of her ill sister,” he said.
He added that officials at the office had rejected his request to have Nour reunited with him even though he approached the office several times.
The Saudi man also denied allegations that he had failed to fulfill conditions of the agreement he signed when the couple adopted Nour.
He said Nour had been living a happy life with the couple for about 10 years, adding she was given excellent care and attention as well as the best possible schooling. As an outstanding student, she had won several certificates of appreciation for her excellent academic performance, he added.
He said the trouble started when a woman from the Women’s Supervision Office visited their home and asked about his wife.
He told her that she was away taking care of her ill sister.
The official then said she wanted to take Nour to the office for administrative purposes, promising to bring her back after completing some paperwork.
The father added that when he contacted the office next day, the officials gave an excuse for not being able to return her.
After they continued to give him excuses, they then told him that the office would not send Nour back because they had received information the couple had separated and his wife had left home.
He said he tried his best to convince them that there was no truth in the rumors but to no avail. After nearly three months, Nour then escaped from the shelter home.
The father said the office pressurized him to return her but he refused, saying he would only do so after he had told his side of the story to the authorities.
He then lodged a complaint with the Governorate asking for their assistance, prompting the Women’s Supervision Office to allege he had kidnapped Nour.
Nour told Al-Madinah that she was abused at the shelter during her three-month stay.
“Most often, I was denied food and sometimes forced to stay in isolation as part of any punishment they gave me. They also tried to give me the wrong impression of my father,” she said.
She said she managed to escape from the shelter after finishing school one day.
“I escaped in the car of a classmate’s father when he came to pick her up from school. Then, I called my father on his mobile. He came and took me home,” she said.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has so far refused to comment on the incident.
