The Shoura Council on Tuesday voted a proposal to establish a special executive committee to deal with domestic violence. This topic is a priority on the council’s agenda, sources told Arab News.

The Ministry of Social Affairs recently submitted a proposal to establish a special executive committee to deal with domestic violence issues and intervene to prevent any damages, taking into account the psychological and social aspects of these cases.

A new survey about violence in the Saudi households stated that 45 percent of Saudi children are subject to images of harm in their daily lives. The poll also found that around 84 percent of families suffering domestic violence sought help from police, while 72 percent of the victims’ parents have sent their children to seek help in these centers.

The survey, conducted on a random sample of people, showed that 50 percent of those interviewed believe that domestic violence is on the rise, while 45 percent claimed not to notice any increase.

Many other studies are exposing shocking information about domestic abuse, with children and women being the primary victims. Experts and psychologists believe this phenomenon has serious ramifications for future generations, even if its effects are not visible immediately.

A legal source told Arab News that the domestic violence law will be disseminated to all judges for use in rulings. “Nowadays, each judge has the authority to make the ruling based on his own views,” the source said, explaining that the laws are not lenient when it comes to violence against women. “Most of the violent cases monitored by Justice and Social Affairs Ministries were targeted against women,” the source said.

Some articles of the law state that police need to respond to calls without any conditions. The source confirmed that the law represents a major qualitative jump in the laws and regulations regarding the protection of women, children and vulnerable groups, as it aims to curb the spread of domestic violence, psychological and physical abuse.

The law’s spirit was dependent on high Islamic values such as good manners, proper ways of dealing with others and refraining from causing harm, the source commented. At the same time, the law comes in harmony with international laws and agreements regarding anti-domestic violence, the protection of women and children.

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