A two-month old marriage ended in tragedy last week in Saudi Arabia. The husband murdered his wife at their home in Al Lith governorate, then took her lifeless body to the hospital.
The case was made public days after the defendant was referred to court. During the court hearing on Wednesday, the man pled guilty to the horrific homicide.
The crime was uncovered after the man admitted his wife to a local hospital, claiming she died of natural causes. Medical staff who saw the victim immediately realized that wasn't the case given that her body was covered in bruises and burns.
They then reported the incident to police, who arrested the man and launched an investigation into his wife's death.
During interrogations, the 30-year-old husband admitted to murdering his 22-year-old wife. He's been referred to public prosecution and is set to face a trial.
The victim's body has yet to be buried and will be handed over to her family once technical police procedures are wrapped up.
Several tweeps who claimed to know the victim said she had been forcibly married off to her husband. However, these claims remain unconfirmed.
"There's no power or strength but in God"
No one could even believe it
"I thought the news was fake, my brain refused to believe it! But when I saw her friends tweeting out through this hashtag, I knew it was true. My heart broke for her, she's only 22. May she rest in heaven."
"Until when will this violence against women continue?"
"The real criminals are her parents and whoever married her off to this ill person. I hope you implement laws against parents who marry off their daughters by force or for money or to addicts or mentally ill people."
"Where are those who were saying domestic abuse doesn't exist?!"
Domestic violence continues to be underreported in the kingdom
Domestic abuse continues to be underreported in the kingdom. Victims who live with families who normalize gender-based violence are often forced to remain silent about what they endure.
In some cases, victims lose their lives as a result of abuse and beatings before their cases are reported or made public.
Many have long criticized the country's legal system when it comes to this issue in specific. They've accused it of cultivating a misogynistic environment and further encouraging violence and discrimination against women.
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 country criminalized domestic violence in 2013 following an organized media campaign.
In 2016, it set up a domestic violence reporting center. In its first three days, the center received 1,890 domestic violence reports.