The self-proclaimed Saudi cleric Fayan Al-Ghamdi has been accused of raping and torturing his own 5-year-old daughter, Lama Al-Ghamdi, to death. Dr. Mohammed Mehdi, the medical examiner in Lama\u2019s case reported to Asharq Al-Awsat that the \u201coffender committed all sorts of physical abuse on the victim\u201d and that the 5-year-old girl suffered from clear evidence of sexual abuse and rape, including \u201cswelling in the region of the genitals and laceration in her anal area.\u201d<\/p>\n
The father confessed to the abuse, mentioning to the judge that he believed that Lama was behaving inappropriately. Al-Ghamdi had even hired a medical professional to examine and confirm that his child\u2019s virginity was intact.<\/p>\n
Lama\u2019s mother is an Egyptian national who had been living in Saudi Arabia for over 25 years. Due to Saudi laws heavily favoring the father in cases of child guardianship, she lost custody of her daughter when Al-Ghamdi divorced her. Lama\u2019s mother said in an interview that she had begged Al-Ghamdi to allow her to see her daughter but he strongly refused; allowing only very brief telephone conversations between the mother and her daughter.<\/p>\n
The anger did not end with Lama\u2019s death, as a story circulated in the last week stating that Al-Ghamdi\u2019s judge allowed him to walk free upon a small payment of blood money to the mother. Many were outraged over the judge\u2019s alleged decision to let Al-Ghamdi off so easily, noting that Lama\u2019s case highlighted once again an absolute failure of the Saudi system to protect women and children. Human Rights Watch released a report in the same week of Al-Ghamdi\u2019s hearing criticizing the Saudi system for being \u201clax\u201d on punishments for domestic abusers. Saudi writer Iman Al Nafjan blogged, \u201cOver and over again, the courts have let fathers and husbands literally get away with murder.\u201d<\/p>\n