The Commission for Investigation and Prosecution (CIP) in Jeddah is investigating whether a woman is guilty of severely burning her five-year-old stepson with boiling water and cigarettes. The boy suffers from second degree burns on various parts of his body, particularly on his thighs. Sae'ed Khalf Al-Ghamdi, Acting Director of Social Affairs and Chairman of the Protection Committee in Jeddah, said the committee had received an urgent complaint from the Directorate of Education in Jeddah about the boy. The kindergarten where he goes to school first reported the matter. A committee consisting of women from the Protection Committee promptly moved to investigate the allegations. When they found burn marks on his body, they reported the matter to the police and transferred him to King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah. Al-Ghamdi said the child was referred to the burns department. A final hospital report has still to be issued. He said preliminary investigations indicate that the child was residing with his father, a doctor at a private hospital, and his stepmother. The father is separated from the child's mother. He pointed out that the victim's mother is staying with him at the hospital. Al-Ghamdi said he expects the boy to remain in the hospital for a long period because of the severity of the burns. He said the boy may be moved to a protection house until investigation is completed. According to sources the boy was allegedly “tortured” by his stepmother with boiling water. There were also signs of cigarette burns on his body. The sources said the divorced mother was not able to see her son for five months. The child's mother is fearful that her son may be handed over to his expatriate father, who she believes may try to leave the country before the investigations are completed. The mother claimed that her ex-husband tried to discharge the child but the hospital's authorities rejected his request. The mother thinks that the alleged crime was carried out when the father was out of the country. She accused the stepmother of burning and torturing her son mentally and physically. She said her ex-husband divorced her four years ago. She said she wants to see justice done.
