Saudi Arabia: Parents will be punished if children are neglected

Abu Dhabi: The Saudi Arabia public prosecution tweeted a reminder of the Saudi child protection law, which criminalises parents who do not provide their children with proper family supervision and care.

“It is negligence and harm to the children if they are left without a guardian’s supervision or family care, child exploitation in commercial marketing, exposing the child, directly or indirectly, to information materials that violate morals, criminal material or inappropriate for his age, or that endanger his belief, thought, or behaviour,” the prosecution said.

The prosecution added, “It is also child abuse and negligence, hiring out bicycles to children below 12 years of age. Those who hire out bicycles to children below 12 years of age will be held responsible for any ensuing harm inflicted on children,.”

Article 4 of the Saudi child protection law criminalises parents who don’t furnish their children with a proper education.

Saudi parents are responsible by law to provide schooling and to create appropriate studying conditions for their children. Parents are also responsible to help them learn and to protect them. Any parent who stops their child from getting an education can be charged with abuse and neglect under the child protection system.

The child protection law was issued in 2014, to protect children’s rights in Saudi Arabia. The law states that until the age of 18 a person is considered a child who needs to be protected from all kinds of harm by family members, school, care homes and public places.

Parents in Saudi Arabia must get their children formal identification papers, education, vaccinations - as stated by the health ministry - and provide a safe home. If any one of these basic rights is not met a parent can be charged with neglect.