http://www.arabnews.com/?page=13§ion=0&article=82715&d=25&m=5&y=2006
Thursday, 25, May, 2006 (27, Rabi` al-Thani, 1427)
Wives and Ex-Wives Need Police Protection
Nawal Al-Rashed . Al-Riyadh
Saudi Arabian society has recently been forced to come to terms with some
horrendous crimes against women in the Kingdom.
In the latest of a series of cases related to domestic violence, a man
murdered his ex-wife in a health-center in Riyadh. The man had been waiting to
kill his ex-wife for a considerable time and had been watching his her coming
to and fro from work. On the fatal day the deranged ex-husband attacked the
woman repeatedly, stabbing her to death.
Not long ago a similar crime took place in Qaseem where a husband
mercilessly murdered his wife in front of their children. Domestic violence and
especially domestic murder is a growing phenomenon in Saudi Arabian society.
Figures show that domestic murders occur far more than car-related crime and
assaults not involving relatives.
Domestic violence is a serious and dangerous crime and there are reasons
why partners behave violently. Such crimes are a blemish on our Islamic society
not to mention the negative effects that are left on the families of crime
victims.
The crime that took place in Riyadh shocked Saudi society not to mention
the mental anguish suffered by employees at the health-center, a supposedly
secure venue. Sources say that employees were so taken aback by the murder that
all were given psychiatric counseling. To make matters worse, according to
newspapers, the police had failed to act even though they had been told time
and again that the man had threatened to kill his ex-wife.
The police seriously needs to review the way they handle reports
involving death threats. What procedures do the police adopt in protecting
people that are threatened? Are the complaints filed by women actually taken
seriously? Or are they ignored only to be looked at after crimes are committed?
The police definitely need to explain their procedures and the media need
to lead the way in opening up the subject for mainstream discussion. But
fundamentally the police need to pay more attention to women that are
threatened by husbands, ex-partners, brothers, fathers, relatives and anyone
else.
On a final note, I wrote a few months ago about a mother of seven
daughters whose ex-husband, a drug-addict, had spent time in prison and
hospital for drug addiction. In my article I mentioned how this man, who has a
history of violence, regularly telephones his ex-wife and threatens to kill her
and their children and says that he will wait for them outside their home or
school.
This woman has repeatedly written to newspapers trying to find solutions
to her problems, and as I write this the authorities have yet to take action in
protecting her and her daughters. I really wonder if in her case it will be too
late before anyone reacts.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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