Okaz/Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — A Saudi court sentenced a Saudi woman health practitioner, who is convicted of assaulting 11 newborn babies, to five years in prison and a whopping fine amounting to SR100,000.

An official source at the Public Prosecution stated that its wing to deal with aggression on individuals filed charges against the woman, who was working as a health practitioner in the neonatal nursery department of a hospital, for assaulting 11 newborn babies.

The source stated that it was revealed in investigations that the woman repeatedly committed criminal offenses against 11 infants, and then justified that this happened under work pressure.

The Public Prosecution officials collected evidence of the abuse of infants from the surveillance cameras installed at the neonatal nursery. She was found abusing an infant boy with physical violence and slapping him in the face three times.

Following the investigation, the accused was detained and referred to the competent court to complete the trial procedures.

The court issued the preliminary judgment, convicting her of what was attributed to her. The source pointed out that the Public Prosecution Office appealed the verdict and demanded more severe punishment for the convict in view of the heinousness of crimes perpetrated against infants.

The source stressed that the protection of newborn children from crimes is one of the high guarantees prescribed by the Islamic Shariah and law of the land.

The law allows neonatal babies to enjoy all their health, social and security rights, the Public Prosecution source said while stressing that stringent punitive measures will be taken against the violators of the regulations.