5-year-old foster child tortured and murdered for bed-wetting

5-year-old foster child tortured and murdered for bed-wetting

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JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Saturday 20 July 2013

Last Update 21 July 2013 4:15 pm

An orphaned 5-year-old boy was allegedly tortured and killed by his foster father because the boy wet his bed.

Details of the July 2012 death of Faisal emerged only recently because the Ministry of Social Services withheld information, citing the murder case could affect the future of other orphans in the ministry’s care.

According to police, the ministry and media reports, Faisal was adopted by a foster family and turned over by social services.

However, Faisal wanted to be returned to the government-run Dar Al Diafa orphanage a week after he was in the foster parent’s care.

Othman Abdel Muhsin, 27, said that Faisal was one of the youngest in the orphanage, he had talent for drawing, and was well-liked by the other children.

His bed wetting was not a problem, Muhsin said. He had been in the orphanage for the last two years where he learned to use the bathroom.

Muhsin said the supervisors would put him in a nappy during bedtime and when they took him for outings. He joined them after two years in nursery. He learned how to talk and use the bathroom. Sometimes he wet his bed, which forced supervisors to use a nappy at night and during long trips.

“Even though adoption decisions are difficult, this family was granted adoption,” Muhsin said.

“His brothers thought Faisal was at a friend’s house, and not with a foster family,” said Muhsin. After a week, Faisal returned home during one cold winter night, without any underwear. He was crying and saying he will never wet his bed again. When they explained the situation to the owner of the house, he said this was normal. They told the foster family that Faisal has a family in Taif, and they were prevented from communicating until he got used to his new situation.

He said that the brothers didn’t know about Faisal’s death until reading about it in the newspaper. The Ministry of Social Affairs justified its failure to disclose the circumstances of the boy’s death because it could have a bad effect on female inmates who are eligible for marriage.

“Our tragedy didn’t stop at losing the little boy but extended to obstructions in his burial, even though his autopsy was completed,” Muhsin said.

He asked the ministry to closely examine families wanting to adopt orphans to prevent another tragedy.

The head of death affairs in forensic medicine in Riyadh said Faisal’s body came into forensics through the Manfouha police station last July. Tests were carried out but his body is still in the morgue.

Dr. Mashhoor bin Hail Al-Waqdani, medical director in forensic medicine in Riyadh and chairman of the Team to Protect from Harm and Abuse in the Health Ministry, said the death of Faisal points to the sadistic behavior of the killer because he tortured the child with various instruments.

“We got word from Manfouha police about the deceased child. Examinations revealed serious injuries in different parts of the body like the head, neck, abdomen in addition to internal injuries and burns. The cause of death was brain hemorrhage, which resulted from direct hit to the head,” he said.

Riyadh Police Col. Nasser bin Saeed Al-Qahtani said the child died after severe blows to different parts of his body and head. His private parts were burned because he wet his bed. The alleged killer admitted his crime, and justified it by saying he only wanted to discipline the child, according to police.

The suspected killer, who is married, adopted the child and took him to his house in Manfouah.

The boy was taken to Al-Eiman hospital for treatment but died soon afterward. The child had been adopted for six months.