TABUK — A 13-year-old boy who was brutally beaten up by one his uncles in Tabuk recently finally broke his silence about the vicious treatment he received in his own family.
Police on Monday arrested the uncle after a video showing whip marks on the boy's back went viral on social media. The child sustained severe injuries from the flogging.
The boy said his uncle had continuously beaten him up and that he would never forgive him for the torture.
The mother of the boy, who is married to his uncle, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that her husband came to her room one day and asked her to leave while her son was inside. He closed the door and started beating the boy viciously in the back.
The mother heard her son crying but she could not do anything as the room was locked. She had no choice but to call the police and ask for help.
The mother later took her daughters with her and left the house fearing that the man might beat them as well. She said, "He did beat me once three years ago. At that time I complained to the police and he did not beat me up since then."
Tabuk police transferred the case to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution and the child was taken to hospital for treatment.
The incident comes on the heels of the case of Dareen, an infant who was abused by her father in Makkah. The father strangled and slapped his daughter and sent the abuse video to her mother. The mother published the video on social media seeking help from the authorities.
Asem Al-Bluwi, family lawyer, said the uncle violated Article 1 of the Protection From Abuse Law. According to Article 13 of the law, the uncle may face a jail sentence of one month to a year and a fine of between SR5,000 to SR50,000.
