Adnan Al-Shabrawi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Social Affairs Office in the Makkah region received 17 cases of family violence in Ramadan, but nine of the cases were withdrawn later as they were settled amicably. Abdullah Al-Tawi, director of the office, said most of the complaints involved women and children who were deprived of their basic rights, such as education, healthcare and official documents of identification. Women and children complaining about physical abuse are referred to the social protection centers until their cases are settled. Statistics show that Jeddah registers an average 30 abuse cases per month. Saleh Sarhan from the Social Protection Unit in Jeddah said violence against children is on the rise. He urged the civil and educational bodies, media and mosque imams to help increase awareness about the issue. He said that the Ministry of Social Affairs is considering new steps for evaluating people who commit violence against children, often as a result of divorce or drugs. Dr. Ahlaam Fakhruldeen, a psychologist, called for investigating violence cases individually and seeking solutions to avoid such acts becoming a social trend. She said ignorance of the law was one of the reasons why many abuse cases go unreported
