Anazi and Abdul Aziz Al-Ruwaili TABUK — The father of two handicapped children in Tabuk, who appeared in a video clip circulated through the social media, said he would take legal action against those who published the video breaking the privacy of his home to defame him and his family. The video clip claimed that the man was ousted from home by his second wife, who was torturing one of the two handicapped children, without allowing him entry to the house. "I have not married a second wife," he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. "My wife who is living with me is the mother of my children including the two handicapped children," he said, adding that he had applied for early retirement to take care of his children. "I knew about the video clip when security officers came to my house in the night and informed me. They asked me to come to the police station in Sulaimaniya. It gave me the feeling that we are unsafe even in our homes. How do people dare to take video of our house without our knowledge." He said his wife and other family members were shocked on seeing the video clip while his father nearly got a heart attack and was taken to hospital for treatment. "I have been living with my family peacefully without interfering in the affairs of others," he said. Medical reports have confirmed that the handicapped children were not subjected to mental or physical torture as claimed by the video clip. "My handicapped children sometimes make loud sound because of their mental disorder," the father said. Four years ago he had recruited a maid to look after the children. Later he found the maid was not taking care of them properly and informed the recruitment office that he did not want her service. "My wife was looking after the children and she never complained about it." The father denounced those who produced the video. "I tell them that Allah is enough for me as a supporter. I will sue them in this world and in the hereafter we'll meet Allah as opponents." Ahmed Juma, director general of the Ministry of Social Affairs' office in Tabuk, said the video clip was fake. "It's wrong to publish such videos about handicapped children," he said. He disclosed the ministry's plan to allocate a telephone number dedicated to receive calls about family violence. "A team of experts visited the child having mental disorder and found that he has been receiving good care from his parents," Juma said. Our health team visits homes of such children to provide them with additional care and support, he explained. Abdul Hakeem Al-Kharji, a legal consultant, said the video comes under electronic crimes and those convicted of the crime would be jailed for five years and fined up to SR10 million. "Those who have taken genuine video should contact authorities before circulating it to avoid punishment for defamation," he added.
