RIYADH: A prominent Saudi cleric has received a light prison sentence after confessing to beating his 5-year-old daughter to death over concerns about her virginity.
Saudi media reports say Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a frequent guest on Islamic television programs, also raped his daughter before being charged with murder in November.
Gulf News provided some of the horrifying details: Al Gamdi raped his five-year-old daughter and tortured her to death has been sentenced to pay blood money to the mother after having served short four months jail term in his home country Saudi Arabia, activists said on Saturday.
Lama Al Ghamdi was admitted to hospital on December 25, 2011 with multiple injuries, including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns, the activists said. She died last October 22.
Fayhan Al Gamdi, a ‘preacher’ and regular guest on Muslim television networks, confessed to having used cables and a cane to inflict the injuries, the activists from the group Women to Drive said in a statement.
They said the father had doubted Lamas virginity and had her checked up by a medic.
Randa Al Kaleeb, a social worker from the hospital where Lama was admitted, said the girls back was broken and that she had been raped everywhere, according to the group.
According to the victims mother, hospital staff told her that her childs rectum had been torn open and the abuser had attempted to burn it closed.
It was such a terrible shock to see her frail body in this tragic state. She remained paralysed for eight months before she passed away, she said.
Reports said that the father used wires and an iron rod to punish his daughter and that he had expressed doubts about her virginity.
The activists said that the judge had ruled the prosecution could only seek blood money (compensation for the next of kin under Islamic law) and the time the defendant had served in prison since Lamas death suffices as punishment.
Three Saudi activists, including Manal Al Sharif, have raised objections to the ruling.
The ruling is based on Saudi laws that a father cannot be executed for murdering his children, nor can husbands be executed for murdering their wives. Agencies
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
