Security agencies in Hafr Al-Batin said that they found the child whose family had tied to a column inside the yard of their house.

A passerby was able to take a photograph of the child and posted it on Twitter. Many people have tweeted that the perpetrators should be severely punished.

A woman who lives near the child’s house took a picture of the child and posted it on her Twitter account. “We are seeking help for this child before you begin celebrating the National Day,” she wrote.

“Please try to save the child. I took a picture of him. He lives with his father and step-mother. I tried to help him by going to the police and the human rights center, to no avail.” She included her home address in her post.

The photo, which shows a child tied to a column inside the yard, instantly became a hot topic among members of the Saudi public. A “hashtag” website was hurriedly opened to follow up on the case, which acquired the status of a public opinion case within two days of posting the picture.

Many expressed their horror at the cruelty committed against a helpless child and sought the most severe of penalties against those responsible. They also want official agencies to be held accountable for negligence.

Arab News obtained a statement in which Khalid Al-Fakhiri, secretary general of the National Society of Human Rights, said, “We have spoken to security agencies and asked them to confirm if this is a case of domestic violence. We will not close the file until we are satisfied that the child has received protection and that the perpetrator is held accountable for the act, especially if the child was physically abused.” A local paper said that security authorities, together with a representative from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and a representative from Family Protection, went to the house of the child’s family and spoke to them at length.

They finally agreed to let the child go to the hospital for a medical check-up. The mother agreed to go with the child to the hospital. The woman was his biological mother and not his step-mother as had been reported earlier. The case uncovered the absence of a specialized committee to stand up to cases of abuse and violence, which meant responsibility for violent cases was lost between authorities.

However, the case attracted the attention of the Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif, who followed up on the case and directed the mayor of Hafr Al-Batin to follow up on the issue, offer assistance and file a report to the Eastern Province Governorate.

Hafr Al-Batin has a team set up for protection against violence and abuse, but its role is limited to abused children inside hospitals. It offers them medical, psychological and social programs and then refers their files to the social development committee, which refers them to the Eastern Province because there is currently no committee to deal with abuse cases.

“King Khalid general hospital receives many abused cases, most of whom are women, children and housemaids,” a source for Hafr Al-Batin Health Affairs told local press. These cases are not reported by the media because society rejects the publicity of such cases thanks to a prevailing culture of shame, he added.

“Most cases of abuse occur behind closed doors and many victims of abuse are not educated about their rights,” he said.

“Abuse cases are dealt with individually. If assault is proven on a female adult, she will be referred to the shelter for the abused in the Eastern Province if she so wishes. However, in cases of child abuse, the parents’ suitability and the history of abuse are taken into consideration,” he added.