Opinion

Punish those who abuse women and children

May 18, 2018
Punish those who abuse women and children

Taghreed Al-Tasan

Al-Hayat daily

We’ve all read news of the abuse that the Abha victim suffered. I am sure everyone who saw the video asked: “How could something like this happen in our society? Are there members of society who still abuse women in this way?”

I am not going to get into the details of this case nor am I going to play the role of investigator. The only thing I want to stress is that it is women and children who are always the victims of abuse. I strongly believe that there are many abuse cases that remain undiscovered. I am sure that the people living near such victims of abuse must hear them scream but they choose to remain silent.

Our legislative bodies have been unable to prevent abuse and protect victims. Perhaps that is why so many men today dare to abuse women and children, knowing that they can get away with it. Unfortunately, each abused woman will be blamed because she “smeared” her family’s name and reputation due to no fault of her own. All she did was defend herself and demand her rights. When a child is abused, women are always blamed. Female activists and women’s rights advocates are always accused of attempting to destroy the image of the Saudi man because they want to strip men of their guardianship rights over women.

The pertinent authorities have failed to eradicate abuse against women and children. All the measures taken so far have only slightly reduced the number of abuse cases. We need to draft deterring laws.

Let me give you an example. Awareness programs and campaigns were launched to raise public awareness about the dangers of speeding and running red lights, but they did not work. When the authorities imposed hefty fines, people started to comply with the traffic rules. These decisions might have appeared harsh at first sight but in fact they were in the best interests of drivers. We need to do the same thing to reduce cases of abuse. TV shows and interviews with women activists and lawyers will not end this abuse.

In Western countries, no man dares to attack his wife or sister or children because he knows that he will be punished severely. In our society, there are no stern and harsh measures against abusers. If someone tries to help a victim of abuse, he or she may get in trouble and be accused of God knows what.

The truth is that no one cares about the fate of the abused woman or child. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will take action in this matter. All pertinent authorities and organizations should provide swift action and solutions that protect the rights of women and children in the Kingdom.


May 18, 2018
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