Bahraini man who assaulted ex-wife to be produced before court

Manama : The man who brutally assaulted his Syrian ex-wife earlier this month will stand before the judges on Thursday, the Public Prosecution confirmed yesterday.

Northern Governorate Prosecution Head Mohammed Salah said in a statement yesterday that the prosecution has completed interrogating the 52-year-old defendant, who has been in detention since September 16, and referred him to the Third Lower Criminal Court after accusing him of assault.

“The Public Prosecution initiated its investigations into the case once it was reported, interrogated the suspect and ordered to detain him. The prosecution also visited the victim in Salmaniya Medical Complex and heard its testimony. The statement of the victim’s daughter and neighbour was recorded as proof. The daughter had informed that she saw her father assaulting her mother. The victim was also examined by the coroner and the medical report was reviewed by the prosecution,” Salah said.

DT News reported earlier that Zahra Subhi, 35, was rushed to the hospital after her husband violently attacked her by punching and banging her head against the wall and hitting her with a piece of tile on her head. The woman said in a video message that the man frequently assaulted and claimed that the last attack was an attempt to murder her so he could marry another woman.

The case created a public outrage and raised the issue of domestic violence in Bahrain. Several authorities immediately took actions after Subhi’s video was widely shared on local and regional social media networks. The Supreme Council for Women announced that it has assigned an attorney to follow up on the victim’s case in court. Labour and Social Development Ministry said it has provided an apartment for the victim and five of her children. The National Institution for Human Rights condemned the attack and pledged to support the woman in all ways.