A "prominent religious scholar" in Saudi Arabia has been accused of torturing his 5-year-old daughter to death.
According to Al Arabiya, the young girl, named Lamaa, died a few days ago in an intensive care unit of a Riyadh hospital after months of "suffering from broken arms, [a] skull fracture and head bruises." The girl's mother told the pan-Arab news network that Lamaa's injuries had been inflicted by her ex-husband.
According to Saudi website Emirates 24/7, the girl's father, with the "help of his new wife," had allegedly tortured the young child with "sticks and hot metals."
The hospital medical report indicates the child was also tortured with "whips and electric shocks," Al Arabiya writes.
The local Saudi daily Al Okath said Monday that Lamaa's father has been identified as Faihan Al Gameri, according to news agency EFE.
The news agency adds that Al Gameri is a former drug addict "who won a certain popularity in his country by appearing on television programs to relate his story of repentance."
Earlier, Lamaa's mother had claimed that her ex-husband is a "prominent religious scholar who preaches on satellite television channels," according to UPI.
Lamaa's story first made headlines earlier this year when the young girl was admitted to the hospital, Emirates 24/7 notes. At the time, her mother had expressed concern that the child would suffer from brain damage due to her injuries.
According to EFE, the National Society for Human Rights in Riyadh said it has opened an investigation into the allegations against Lamaa's father, who has reportedly been arrested by Saudi authorities.
“I appeal for the authorities and human rights groups to support my quest to have my ex-husband and his wife executed for murdering [my] daughter,” Lamaa's mother told the Saudi daily Al Youm, according to Emirates 24/7.
In April, after her daughter was admitted to the intensive care unit, Lamaa's mother appeared on Arabic TV station MBC to expose her ex-husband. The unsubtitled report was posted on YouTube; watch it here: