JEDDAH: Courts in Makkah, Taif and Jeddah are looking into nine cases of blackmail, sexual harassment and attacks on girls while Honor and Moral Circuits are looking into similar cases, sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette – and a number of female students said these problems are common. The family of a Pakistani driver, who is accused of sexually assaulting a female student, has submitted a request to the court to release the man on bail but the judge in the case has rejected the request because the driver admitted his crime and his testimony was recorded by the court, sources said. Okaz/Saudi Gazette has learned that the 25-year-old bus driver whose name is Isa was born in Jeddah and said in his testimony that he was not married, but investigations proved that he is married and has two children. He tried to escape from the bus when the staff of the Hai'a, rounded him up. The source confirmed that the girl's name was deleted from the case's file and that the matter was handled confidentially to protect her and her family. The girl maintains the right to claim the private right and ask for compensation because of the mental and social damage she suffered from the assault and subsequent blackmail. The suspect claimed that he downloaded the photograph of the naked girl authorities found in his mobile phone, but he retracted his testimony and admitted that he photographed her while she was naked. He also admitted that he had an affair with her and rejected the accusation of blackmail, but the victim made it clear that the driver raped her, a source said. Sources also confirmed that the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution has opened a separate file for the owner of the establishment where the driver was employed. In this case, the prosecutor general has ordered an investigation into the owner on the grounds that he employed an expatriate who is not under his sponsorship and violated laws. The prosecutor general also ordered the seizure of the bus used in the alleged crime, sources said. Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, professor of law at King Abdulaziz University and legal adviser to the Human Rights Commission, said the crime falls under the jurisdiction of the Honor and Moral Circuit at the BIP. Dr. Al-Khouli said the victim preserves the right of being compensated for the loss of her virginity, which would be determined by the judge. Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, a mental health consultant, said harassment and blackmail can affect women psychologically and socially, and create mental pressures that could lead to losing the ability to adapt to life's circumstances. Ihsan Tayyib, a social counselor, has bitterly criticized owners of businesses engaged in transporting girls for not abiding by the traffic laws, which prohibit the tinting of public transportation buses and cars.
