A court in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah recently rejected a lawsuit filed by a woman who was beaten by her husband, Okaz newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The case was filed by a woman in her 50s, three years after her husband physically assaulted her in front of her children outside a wedding hall.
The domestic abuse victim had presented medical reports to the court, proving she had sustained injuries following the assault. Still, the case was dismissed.
According to sources, the dismissal was due to the fact that the complainant took legal action too long after the violent incident occurred and had previously accepted 10,000 riyals ($2,666) as "compensation" for the assault.
In court, the woman said she stayed with her husband because of her kids
In his statement to the court, the woman's husband admitted to assaulting her. However, he said the incident took place a long time ago and that they had reconciled at the time.
The defendant said he believes his wife came forth years later because her relative, a lawyer، incited her to do so, telling her she'd get more compensation money out of it.
In response to her husband's claims, the wife said that even though she accepted the compensation money at the time, she only went on living with him because of her kids.
The woman also said she didn't file a report against her husband earlier because she had no one to help her go through with the case.
News of the case divided people on Saudi Twitter
A few stood against the victim of domestic abuse, saying she has only taken legal action now because she was seeking more money.
However, many defended her and pointed out that it isn't unusual for victims of assault to hesitate before reporting their abusers.
Some were all for the court's decision to dismiss the case
"She should've filed a report immediately after the incident, not take the compensation money, forgive her husband and then sue him."
Many couldn't disagree more though
"This is great; beat your wife, pay her money and the legal system will be right by your side."
"Money can never give back a person's dignity"
Some were outraged by the news
"Anyone who tries to overpower a woman isn't a man. Even if he did pay her money as compensation, what he broke in her soul can never be healed."
"A legal system that's racist against women"
"If he beats you don't ever go back to him. Get a divorce. You get to live once, don't waste your life with a mentally ill person who abuses you."
Domestic violence is often under-reported in the kingdom
Domestic abuse that many Saudi women are subjected to continues to be underreported because many victims live with families who normalize gender-based violence and are often forced to remain silent about what they endure.
Many have also long criticized the country's legal system when it comes to this issue in specific, accusing it of cultivating a misogynistic environment and further encouraging violence and discrimination against women.
Even though domestic violence continues to be a major problem in Saudi Arabia, victims of abuse who have come forth in recent years did so because of positive changes the kingdom has made in a bid to tackle the issue.
The kingdom criminalized domestic violence in 2013 following an organized media campaign.
In 2016, the country also set up a domestic violence reporting center. In its first three days, the center received 1,890 domestic violence reports.