Silence over incidents to blame for incest prevalent in Saudi society

MECCA - Incest is becoming a noticeable problem in Saudi society. There are various reasons why male relatives, especially guardians, sexually abuse the girls in their families. Experts feel that the growing incidence of this scourge is largely due to the victims’ families not reporting such incidents to authorities concerned in order to save the so-called honor of themselves and victims. Arab News spoke to some of the victims and their relatives to get a wider picture. A bride in the first month of her marriage was shocked when her new husband’s niece told her that her paternal uncle had been sexually abusing her since she was 10. The new wife said she could not believe her ears and talked to the girl’s mother who said she knew about the abuse and kept quiet to avoid trouble. She decided to tell her husband who refused to accept his brother would do such a thing, accusing his niece of being a constant flirt with her uncle even when she was grown-up, kissing him playfully. He said had she been truthful, she would have stayed away from the uncle. The wife also came to know through another brother-in-law’s wife that the same uncle was making passes at her 11-year-old daughter when she once visited with the girl. The mother said she told her husband who preferred to keep quiet to protect the reputation of his daughter, but he has since refused to have any contact with his brother. Full Story>>
Silence over incidents to blame for incest prevalent in Saudi society http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article473085.ece