JEDDAH: Twenty-year-old Asmaa has been in the King Fahd Hospital in Madinah because of second and third degree burns on her face and body. The burns occurred because of her father who poured acid on her.

Asmaa is now in hospital under heavy protection designed to protect her. The branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs informed the minister of her condition and he in turn ordered that she be given all necessary medical treatment which the hospital is doing.

Sources say the girl was subjected to repeated violence over a long period and then the substance was poured on her body. When the police received a report, they went to the scene, took her to hospital and her father into custody.

The girl is now receiving treatment and being supervised, taken care of and provided protection by a branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs. She is in a rehabilitation program that allows her to live away from her parents. A lawyer has now been appointed to defend her in the General Court.

A preliminary hospital report says the girl was subjected to assault with a chemical from one of her relatives resulting in second and third degree burns on her face, left side and neck. There are also burns on her chest and upper limbs on seven percent of her body as well as chemical burns in the eyes, especially the left one. Eye specialists in the hospital are treating her.

As to plastic surgery the report said that the patient is still under "conservative treatment" and may need skin grafts but that would be decided in the future and recuperation may last for two months if there are no complications. The report said the burns were permanent.

Ali Gharam Al-Ghamdi, the director of the Madinah branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs, said he visited the 20-year-old last week with a protection team and a representative of the Health Ministry. He was informed about the case and informed Social Affairs Minister Majed Al-Qassabi of the situation on the day of his visit.

"The minister told me I was to be responsible for the girl and to help her and follow up on her case and see if she needed treatment inside or outside the Kingdom. Also to determine if she needs housing until matters have been settled. Because it was her father who subjected her to violence, the minister told me to investigate the situation of her family and to help her," he said.

He said he will keep the minister informed and said her case has already been referred to the Board of Investigation and Prosecution. "We want to know the reasons for such violence and study the social situation of the family."