A teenager, incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility here, has been beaten up and tortured, his mother has alleged. Family members of other inmates at the Social Observation House here have also alleged torture of their sons at the correctional facility. Mashaa Matrouk Al-Shammari, 60, demanded that officials and human rights workers intervene and “save” her son from the “violent practices against him and against dozens of inmates who are beaten by the facility's director and some workers.” The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) said it has received complaints and information from several families claiming that their relatives have been abused at the facility, Dr. Mufleh Bin Rubaian Al-Qahtani, NSHR chief, said. The NSHR, he said, is still verifying and following up these complaints. Muhammad Al-Awad, Director of Public Relations and Information at the Ministry of Social Affairs, also admitted having received several complaints in this regard. “Verification is continuing,” he said. “I have directed the Juveniles Administration director to bring to account those who commit improper actions.” Al-Shammari demanded an urgent investigation to probe the inhumane excesses and violations. “My son made a mistake and committed robbery as a result of mixing with bad friends,” a crying Al-Shammari said. “But this is fate and he has been jailed for seven months now. He is paying for what he did,” she said. “His father has not been by our side for years, which made my suffering worse as my son suffers from the house officials' violence and constant beating and I am unable to protect him. I cannot stand the sight of him crying every time I visit him (at the facility).” Al-Shammari said her son never told her why he was crying, but she was shocked to learn he told his elder brother that he was constantly beaten. The elder brother fears that his brother would “commit suicide or become insane,” the mother said. Al-Shammari said she went to visit her son two days ago after not seeing him for a month, but an official at the facility told her that her son was banned from having visitors for the three next weeks. “Your son needs someone to insult him and we are going to do this until he improves his behavior,” an official reportedly told her. The elder brother said he was aghast over violence at the facility. “I could not believe it when he told me that he was hit in the face with a shoe, thrown on the floor and someone stomped on his stomach,” he said. He said his brother told him that all juveniles at the facility faced the same actions and maybe worse and many supervisors verbally insult the inmates. For several weeks, the 17-year-old has not been allowed to have visitors, the elder brother added. “None of the family members have seen him since Ramadan,” he said, adding that he was put in solitary confinement for more than seven consecutive days __
