Saudi father of strangled school boy forgives son’s classmate

Riyadh: The father of a Saudi schoolboy, fatally strangled by a fellow classmate earlier this week, has said he has forgiven him.

On Monday, Moatez Al Harthi, 12, died during a quarrel with a sixth-grade student at their school in the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to education authorities.

Local media said Moatez’s death was the result of asphyxiation.

Following the incident, the boy, blamed for Moatez’s death, was held pending investigations.

After burying his son in a Riyadh cemetery, the father said he had forgiven the child, saying he had not meant to kill his son.

“I went to the police station where I registered a request to forgive the pupil who caused my son’s death,” the father told Saudi website Al Arabiya.

“I want him to return to his family and school as soon as possible. My forgiveness is for God’s sake,” he added.

A team from Riyadh’s education department visited Moatez’s family and offered condolences.