Judge Hamad Al-Razine held that “if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment.”
The judge was explaining why there was an increase in allegations of domestic abuse and why women shared some of the responsibility for these cases, noting that “women’s indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country.”
He handles abuse cases in Saudi Arabia.
What is interesting is that there were women in the audience, who objected to the comments. Previously, conferences on women’s rights bar women from the room, here.
For the full story, click here.