Iraqi father assaults own son

A leading medic at Iraq’s Kadaa Afak hospital in Diwaniya province of Diwaniya has reported a schoolboy suffered “severe beatings” after his father assaulted him on the orders of his wife. The boy was in a coma as a result of trauma and bruising all over his body, doctor Amir Fadel said. “The attack is not the first of its kind. This is the fourth time the boy has been exposed to harm,” he added. Fadel told Arabstoday the pupil, whose name is Segad, had been subjected to severe beatings, biting and even burns from a hot iron, on most parts of his body. The hospital is currently treating Segad, having already referred the case to the relevant authorities. The father, Fadel claimed, threatened his son in front of doctors and nurses when he was arrested by police. First Lieutenant Mohammed Hamzawi, the officer investigating the case, told Arabstoday the father had admitted the crime, allegedly justifying it by suggesting the boy had tried to “sneak a look” at his wife. Saged will remain under police protection until his father is brought to trial. Interior Ministry sources reveal Iraq witnessed more than 500 domestic violence lawsuits in 2012, while the neighbouring Wasit province Family and Child Protection Unit reported 849 total cases of domestic abuse in 2012, including 20 cases of women being assaulted by their husbands.