RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission (HRC) has made a successful intervention to address the situation of three Saudi children who were deprived of education by their father. The commission found that the children were prevented from completing their education for five long years due to their father's intransigence and reluctance to enroll them in studies owing to family disputes following his separation from their mother. Investigation teams from the HRC gathered information about the children's situation following the receipt of a complaint from their relative. Then coordination was made with the social protection unit to verify the information and address the situation of children. However, the authority's efforts were hampered by the lack of cooperation on the part of the father in addressing the issue, prompting the relevant agency at the HRC to transfer the case to the emirate of the region where the children reside. The emirate in turn completed the procedures for summoning the father and took a pledge from the father to send his children back to school. Subsequently, the HRC assumed the task of coordinating with the education department in the region to find a solution for the period of school interruption for children through conducting tests to determine their standard, and ensuring delivery of books for these tests, in preparation for their enrollment in the appropriate class on the basis of their performance. This issue is still subject to follow-up by the HRC until it is confirmed that the children are enrolled in the classes of their study, in addition to making sure that the concerned authorities complete the procedures for holding the father accountable in accordance with the provisions of the child protection law and law on protection from abuse. Meanwhile, Bandar Al-Hajri, the director-general of complaints at the HRC, said that causing a child to drop out of school is one of the most important forms of abuse against him. "What this case revealed is a serious abuse of children's rights that requires the competent authorities to address it and hold the perpetrator accountable," he said while stressing the importance of protecting children from the effects of family conflicts and prevent their exploitation because of such incidents.
