Over the weekend, a video capturing a Saudi woman calling out members of her family as well as her brother for horrifically abusing her made the rounds on Saudi Twitter.
According to Okaz newspaper, the footage was filmed two months ago but was uploaded to social media earlier last week by the woman, who is currently staying at a care center.
In a statement to the regional media outlet, the victim said she wanted the video to go viral in the hope that authorities would hear her story and hold her elder brother accountable for violently abusing her.
She also explained that she hoped her video would lead authorities to drop two police reports her family previously filed against her. One accuses her of running away from home while the other was filed for disobeying her father.
Both charges hold prison sentences for women in the country as they are governed by the kingdom's male guardianship system. Under it, a woman's male relative or husband controls most aspects of her life.
"I am still being threatened to this day and live in fear for my life"
In the footage, the distraught woman told her story and called on people to share it.
"I went to every police station, every hospital but no one helped me. I was beaten, they broke my nose and tried to pull my eyes out. I lost my children and everything I've ever lived for. I am still being threatened to this day and live in fear for my life," she said.
"I ask our King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their help and protection. I ask you all to share my story and video," she added.
As the video made the rounds online, hundreds reacted to it and shared it.
Authorities confirmed the woman is at a care center
Mecca's deputy governor, Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, ordered an immediate investigation into the case soon after the woman's story went viral.
Speaking to Okaz, Khaled Abi Al Khail, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, confirmed that the victim has been living in a care center for the past two months.
In Saudi Arabia, care centers are places women are referred to when seeking shelter from abusive families or husbands. This is due to the fact that women are not allowed to live alone in their own properties if and when they do escape abuse in the kingdom.
The facilities have long been criticized by many who believe the real solution to domestic violence and all forms of abuse against women lies in holding offenders accountable rather than forcing women to live in care centers.
People were left shocked
"He broke her nose and pulled her eyes out, where are we living? Is it possible that such people exist."
And upset
"May God be with her... this is saddening."
Some were completely heart broken over the footage
"My heart aches for her."
Many hit back at those defending the abusers
"Regardless of the reason, they have no right to beat her. We're not living in a jungle."
Many called on authorities to take action
"Her right must be given back to her and her abuser must be punished so that we prevent this from happening to other women."
Even after authorities made a move, people were still having none of it
"So she has to lose her children and be tortured for us to hear her voice and help her. The woman said she went to numerous police centers and hospitals but to no avail. Similar cases of abuse will keep on increasing as long as there are no authorities dedicated to protecting women's rights."
"What about other abused women, why isn't there a law that protects them?"
"Jail the abuser not the victim"
"If you do that you'll begin to tackle the issues that abused women face. She's beaten and you send her to a care center, her abuser didn't lose anything, where's the justice in that?"
Many used the case to call for the end of the kingdom's male guardianship system
"We hope that our crown prince protects women in our society by ending the male guardianship system and supporting their most basic of human rights."
