The mother of Areej, the nine-year-old girl who was tortured to death by her father and his second wife, has said she is not satisfied with a Jeddah court's verdict against the stepmother and has instructed her lawyers to appeal. The father was sentenced to death for torturing and killing his daughter while his wife – the girl's stepmother – was given five years' imprisonment and 1,000 lashes for her part in the crime. The mother believes that the stepmother was equally culpable in the act for goading him into using violence against Areej and threatening to leave him if he did not abandon his daughter, as revealed by the father in court. Areej's mother would like to see the stepmother be given the death penalty, and has asked her lawyer, Ahmed Al-Maliki, to file an appeal. The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), however, has said it was satisfied with the verdict. Hussein Al-Shareef, Chairman of the NSHR in Makkah, said that the most severe penalties were required to act as a deterrent against in cases involving violence against children. “I believe the verdict to be just. It shows that the judicial system is the first line of defense and protection of human rights,” Al-Shareef said. “Areej's mother has the right to appeal against the verdict, as do other parties who have received sentences. This is their right. We defend all rights stated in the Basic System of Governance and the judicial system and legal proceedings system. Whoever is not satisfied with the verdict issued by the court can pursue the matter through the Court of Cassation,” he said. “Areej is now resting in peace,” Al-Shareef added, “and her rights and her mother's rights have been restored, even though they won't bring her back to life. This serves as a clear message from the judiciary to anyone who is considering assaulting or committing violence against innocent children,” he added. The case of nine-year-old Areej shocked Saudi society last year when doctors found signs of savage torture on the child when she was brought dead to a Jeddah hospital. The couple initially claimed that Areej had committed suicide by jumping from an upper floor of their home. – Okaz/SG __
