Saudi Arabia: Woman fined SR50,000 for advising friend to leave husband
Husband awarded compensation after woman told wife to find someone better for herself
Abu Dhabi:
A Saudi woman has been fined SR50,000 for miscounseling her friend and urging her to find a better husband, the Jeddah Criminal Court has ruled.
The husband was awarded the money and the woman took a pledge that she will not advise any married woman, regardless of the motive for advice, according to the court records.
The defendant indicated that she wanted nothing but the best for her friend.
Lawyers described the court ruling as a unique judicial precedent.
The husband sued the woman for destroying his marriage and claimed compensation for injuries he sustained.
He claimed that the woman defendant badly counseled his wife and urged her not to obey him, saying: “My wife’s friend incited my disobedience, by giving her advice that harmed our marital relationship. She used to tell my wife ‘You should find someone better for yourself. Show him who’s the boss. Don’t let them push you around’.”
The court advised spouses to accurately determine what advice to take seriously and what to ignore, because friends may spoil a relationship by giving bad advice out of jealousy.