Social media came to the aid of a mother in Saudi Arabia after videos showing her estranged husband abusing their baby daughter were shared online.
The mother, who appealed for assistance on Twitter, claimed her former spouse had taken custody of the infant when she was only a month old.
According to reports, he was sending her footage of his harrowing violence.
The appeal triggered a viral reaction under the hashtag “a mother wants her daughter in her arms”, prompting widespread condemnation.
The rage was real
Authorities intervened shortly thereafter. Khalil Abu Khail, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Social Development tweeted the following:
We were able to gain access to the abused child. She was taken by colleagues to the Mecca protection unit where she will undergo medical care
The child was later given to her mother, who was identified as a Syrian woman living in Mecca.
This isn’t the first time that social media is used effectively. In Lebanon, and just last November, an online campaign succeeded in freeing a woman who was taken into jail for refusing to hand over her child to her estranged husband.
Fatima Ali Hamze's case, triggered online outrage, followed by on street protests.
She was freed shortly after, and got to keep her child.
The interwebz made it happen. Such is the power of social media.