Saudi Gazette report

HAIL — An Arab expatriate was arrested on suspicion of physically assaulting his infant son and then attempting to commit suicide, Al-Hayat newspaper reported.



"He has been hitting and hurting our son since the day he was born," said the infant's mother, a 19-year-old Syrian expatriate. Her husband is 25 years old.



"I never understood why he would hit him. I was so scared I never told any of my relatives. I was afraid my son would be taken away from me. I am an orphan as I have lost my parents. I was afraid I would lose my son as well."



She said she eventually had to report her husband, as the abuse had become increasingly brutal.



"The last time he hit my son he fractured his skull and bruised him in various parts of his body," she said.



"My husband was biting my son and I had to call my sister. She told her husband and he called the police. My son was taken to King Khalid General Hospital for treatment.”



She added that her husband eventually tried to commit suicide by drinking a mixture of poisonous chemicals.



"He was also taken to hospital to clean his stomach," she said. "The police forwarded his case to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution and he is undergoing assessment to diagnose his mental health."



A source at King Khalid General Hospital said the infant was only two months old.



"He was released and returned to his mother after treatment," the source said. "He suffered from bruises in the neck, face and legs. His skull was fractured. The infant is gradually recovering and with no serious injuries his health will be restored."