A recent case was Auda Ahmad, the alleged Yanbu serial killer who was accused of murdering three housemaids.
Ahmad was released from a Yanbu prison in 2007 after serving a jail term for harassment and acid attacks on his sons. After his release, he went back to his family and continued to torture his kids.
Many people question why there is no system to ban criminals from joining their family.
After his release, he allegedly started his systematic killing of housemaids. His first victim was murdered on Sept. 20, 2007. Yanbu police found the body of the Asian maid in an area close to a rest house. The second victim was killed on June 26, 2008. The last victim was murdered on Aug. 10, 2009.
Ahmad also forced his children to beg in the streets by beating them and burning their bodies.
Khaled Abu-Rashed, a Saudi lawyer and vice president of the Paris-based International Justice Organization, said: “Saudi law has defined a certain punishment for each crime. The recent crimes have been the result of the perpetrator suffering from a psychological disorder. Such cases are immediately referred to the mental health hospital. Crimes that do not cite a psychological disorder go to court immediately.”
He added that if someone commits a crime against his family members because of a psychological disorder, he will be transferred to the mental health hospital for treatment.
“There is no law banning a convict from joining his family after leaving prison. The law will not intervene between the family and the prisoner.”
According to Abu-Rashed, prisoners who commit violent crimes can easily join their family without undergoing any psychological examination.
Abu-Rashed confirmed Saudi law does give a convict’s wife the right to ask for divorce and take the children far from their father.
“Prisoners who commit violent crimes should be put in a different prison. They should have special treatment,” said Kholoud Al-Jazzari, a psychiatrist who looks after prisoners with mental disorders at King Fahd General Hospital.
According to Al-Jazzari, letting violent ex-offenders live with their families after leaving prison is very dangerous for their wives and children.
“Prisoners are not undergoing any mental examinations after leaving prison. Families are receiving the prisoner without being sure of his mental health. Prisoners should undergo examinations from a committee of psychiatrists to ensure they are ready to reintegrate into society,” she said.
“It is important to form a committee of psychiatrists and police officers to observe prisoners’ behavior after they leave prison and check on the family to ensure their safety.”
