Woman sues abusive Saudi father in UK court

DAMMAM — A 21-year-old woman sued her Saudi father in a British court for domestic abuse and ill treatment, Makkah newspaper reported on Saturday. The plaintiff’s lawyer Anne-Marie Hutchinson said her client, who hold both Saudi and British citizenships, had filed a lawsuit against her father at the London Supreme Court in 2015. “My client resides in Jeddah and the case is still open. Her father is 62 years old and she is accusing him of locking her in the house in Jeddah, not allowing her to leave it, not allowing her to use the phone and the Internet, or even the toilet,” said Hutchinson. “We had contacted the British Consulate in Jeddah and have arranged with the father to bring her to Britain for a meeting on June 20, 2016. The father refused the arrangement, saying he fears his daughter would insist on never returning to Saudi Arabia and he feared that it would affect her studies and future,” said Hutchinson. She said her client had run away from her home previously but the police took her back to the father because he is her legal guardian. British Consul General in Jeddah Mohammad Showkat said the consulate was aware of the case and it was their duty to offer consultative services to all UK citizens, including the woman. A source said the woman used to live in Wales with her father who worked as an academic there four years ago. Her father decided to bring her back to Saudi Arabia, as he was dissatisfied with her way of living.