Ashwag Al-Tuwairqi Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — The General Court in Makkah has referred a custody case involving a 15-year-old girl to the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution (BIP) after the girl's mother submitted evidence proving the father attempted to sexually abuse his daughter. Social activist Ammunah Tawakkal, who is also entrusted with following the case on behalf of the mother, said her client has submitted an official appeal to the Human Rights Commission and to the court. She said the mother divorced 16 years ago and her ex-husband took custody of their daughter after the mother remarried. He respected all visitation rights then and later allowed the girl to live with her mother because he had remarried and his wife refused to take care of the girl. However, years later, he again took custody of the girl because his mother wanted to care for her granddaughter. He then prevented the girl from visiting her mother for three years. Tawakkal added that the girl told her mother when she visited her that she did not wish to return to her father. The girl claimed her father beat her because she did not bring him any money from her mother and tried to sexually assault her on many occasions. The case has been reviewed at the bureau for months now, but no further action has been taken. The girl is suffering psychologically as she is scared of returning to her father, said Tawakkal. Legal consultant Sultan Al-Hareth said the father's actions indicated a behavioral problem that must be tackled. He said the girl should be medically examined to determine whether she was sexually assaulted. He added the evidence should also be referred to concerned bodies for authentication.
