Saudi Arabia criminalises domestic violence

Saudi Arabia has criminalised domestic violence, passing a law through cabinet on 26 August 2013. 

The "Protection from Abuse" law aims to protect people from "all forms of abuse" and allows for the provision of shelter and social, psychological, and medical aid. Penalties for offending range from one month to one year imprisonment and/or a fine of 5000 - 50,000 riyal.

Saudi human rights activists have welcomes the legislation but say they are waiting to see if it will be implemented. "We are always in favour of an explicit law that does not need interpretations or personal judgment," said Khaled al-Fakher, Secretary General of the National Society for Human Rights.

Law enforcement mechanisms are due to be published by the end of 2013.

Earlier in 2013, an anti domestic abuse campaign "No More Abuse" was launched by the King Khalid Foundation and marketing communications network Memac Ogilvy - Riyadh. A campaign poster published in Saudi newspapers pictured a woman with a black eye beneath her burqa with the slogan "Some things can't be covered".

Media:

Domestic violence to be a crime in Saudi Arabia, Radio New Zealand, 30.08.2013

Saudi Arabia outlaws domestic violence, Aljazeera, 30.08.2013

Image: Young Saudi Arabian woman in Abha by Retlaw Snellac. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic