The girl had ran away from home and taken refuge with a family after getting to know an elderly lady at a popular Taif mall. The girl said her biological mother died some two years ago and that her father then married a Syrian woman who became envious of her closeness with her father. She added that her stepmother began mistreating her and would beat her and force her to clean the toilets.
She also said her stepmother would try to portray her negatively in front of her father and used a separate mobile number to send her obscene text messages and pictures. Once, during a heated argument, the woman snatched the girl’s phone and asked her husband to check the messages where he found the obscene messages.
Thinking that his daughter had been involved in illicit relations, the man beat up his daughter and confiscated her mobile phone, something that made the girl run away from home on Tuesday.
She then made her way to Taif International Market where an elderly shopper noticed her crying. After getting to know her, the woman took her home and said she would help her.
Once home, she telephoned Adel Al-Thubaiti, the official in charge of the NSHR’s Taif branch, and briefed him about the situation. Al-Thubaiti contacted the father to explain the situation and come to some agreement to resolve the matter.
On his part, the father said he had found that the text messages had been sent from his wife’s mobile phone and regretted what he had done. He also apologized to his daughter.
The NSHR also took a written undertaking from him that he would treat his daughter properly and help her continue with her education. A guarantor was also arranged to ensure the father upholds his pledge. The girl was, as a result, returned home.
