The girl, a fifth year student at an elementary school in central Jeddah, was referred to the Maternity and Children's Hospital as she had sustained burns on various parts of her body and bruises on her neck, Dr. Nora Al-Johani told Arab News.
She said the school health doctor decided to send the girl to the hospital after the Family Protection Committee (FPC) in Jeddah refused to receive her.
According to Al-Johani, the girl was beaten by her mother but said the allegations were currently being investigated.
The girl claimed that her parents forced her to wear long dresses to conceal the bruises. She refused to go with her father when he was called to collect her from the school.
Officials at the school said when the girl refused to accompany her father and burst into tears, the school contracted the Department of Girls Education in Jeddah, which in turn informed the FPC. But they refused to respond to the case.
They said the school was told to hand over the girl to her father who should then take her to the committee.
According to official statistics, there were 308 cases of child abuse in Makkah province in a single year, of which 110 were registered at the Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, 45 at the Maternity and Children's Hospital in Jeddah and 25 at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah.
The statistics said 60 incest cases were registered at the female social supervision office in Makkah. There were 65 cases of child abuse registered with the police, the courts and the Prosecution and Investigation Commission in Jeddah.
The Shoura Council was reportedly studying a bill to prevent child abuse and family violence, which would then be submitted to the higher authorities before it could become law.
