JEDDAH: The family of the man held on charges of abducting and raping 13 young girls over a three-year period in Jeddah has hired a lawyer to construct a defense on the grounds that he suffers from mental illness. Al-Watan Arabic daily reported Saturday that relatives of the suspect made the claims and said they were supported by the fact that a brother of the alleged rapist is currently interned at a mental hospital. Relatives told the newspaper that they had appointed a lawyer and that they were in possession of a document stating a “mental illness” which would be used in his defense. They also said that the suspect still maintains his innocence and is refusing to eat. The newspaper also quoted a police source as saying that some of the man's victims were forced to drink the locally-produced alcoholic drink ‘araq' and smoke shisha. The source said that he held the girls for between 14 and 16 hours before abandoning them at nighttime, sometimes as late as 1A.M., in areas between the districts of Kilo 10 and Kilo 14. Police have previously said that their list of evidence includes a DNA match with semen from one of the victims and that several girls have formally recognized the man. The number of victims officially stands at 13, but Al-Watan last week reported police sources as saying that three other victims had emerged, all Saudis and aged between six and nine, but that their families “do not wish to report the cases formally as they are worried about the consequences for the victims because of traditions and social norms”. The case has been taken up by the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution to prepare for court action.
