Saudi Shura Council criticized after rejecting child molesters' registry

Last Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's Shura Council rejected a proposal aimed at creating a child sex offenders registry in the kingdom. 

The proposal, advanced by Dr. Moudhi Al Khalaf and Noura Al Mousaaed, aimed to create an official registry in the country, listing the names of all child molesters in Saudi Arabia. The registry would allow the country to alienate these individuals from jobs that would require them to be in contact with children.

An article published by Makkah newspaper last week, explaining the reasons behind the outrageous decision, ultimately lead to an online discussion shortly after. 

"The proposal submitted by Dr. Moudhi Al Khalaf doesn't differentiate between types of sexual offenders," the article states.

"For example, in the US, only diagnosed pedophiles, or those who prefer to have sexual relations with children rather than women, are jailed. Those who assault children to fulfill their sexual needs because it's easier to 'access' them when compared to women, are not detained."

"These are the 'kind' of attackers prevalent in conservative countries, including Saudi Arabia," it adds. 

The article published by Makkah Newspaper quotes numerous experts without providing a detailed explanation on the fact that there are two different types of offenders. 

In an aired interview conducted by Al Ekhbariya TV's show, Al Raasd, with the author of the article, Sahar Abu Chahin, an explanation regarding a misunderstanding concerning the Shura Council's decision was unveiled. 

Abu Chahin explained that the experts intended to say: "there are two different kinds of offenders, those who have it ingrained in them, and those who do it only once." 

"What people misinterpreted was that by rejecting the proposal, the council is defending child molesters, and that is false. All offenders are to be punished based on their crime," Abu Chahin explained. 

She also pointed out the vagueness of the proposal and raised questions including "Whose name will be listed in the registry? Are all offenders to be listed [both pedophiles and one-time offenders], or just those who are clinically diagnosed pedophiles?"

According to the experts, one-time molesters might learn from a jail sentence and/or fine, along with the help of professionals. This means they will not repeat the crime again, thus marking their criminal record with a one-time offense would be unfair to their future professional life. 

Regardless of the whole situation, thousands were angered by what they read in the local newspaper's article, calling out the Saudi Shura Council's rejection of Al Khalaf's proposal.

"The end of the article is a complete catastrophe!! Because a man can't get to a woman, he assaults a child!!! And there are strict punishments but it's difficult to prove incidents of abuse!!"

"He assaults a woman: His excuse is that the way she dresses aroused him. 

He assaults a child: His excuse is that he couldn't find a woman to assault."

"In Saudi Arabia, they don't want a record of child sexual abusers and the reason is: Finding child victims to assault is easier than getting to women. So basically... do what you want but don't leave evidence behind." 

"So what you get from this: 

1. Sexually assaulting a child isn't a crime, they're just a way to pass time. 

2. Sexually assaulting women is a natural, human need.

3. Men and their penises are more important than the mental and physical well being of women and children who are victims of sexual abuse." 

"The excuse: I didn't find a woman to have sex with. 

The result: I went and found the nearest child and assaulted them. 

Saudi Shura Council: No, he's excused, what do you want a man to do in this case?"

"A type that's acceptable and another that's not?"

"The situation here is disgusting, depressing and embarrassing forever. No rights for women or children." 

Even though cases of >child sexual harassment are prevalent across the Arab world, they often go unreported due to social norms that shame victims and their families. 

Adding to the problem is the unacceptable rhetoric that aims to justify this horrific form of abuse. 

With odds stacked against victims, the majority of child abuse sufferers in the region do not get the medical or psychiatric help they so desperately need.

In a statement he made about the issue, Dr. Hussain Al Shamarani highlighted and explained that some victims of child abuse are also punished by parents or family members if they do speak out about being assaulted.

"The consequences of both punishing the victim or remaining silent about an assault are detrimental to children who suffer from an incident of sexual abuse. Victims of such assaults need medical assistance to get through it and must be seen by doctors who'll assess their cases and provide them with the care and support they need," he stressed.