Iraq: Mother-in-law, husband set fire to pregnant woman after dispute over cleaning fish

Dubai: A 21-year-old Iraqi woman has been set on fire by her mother-in-law, with the help of victim's husband, following a dispute over cleaning fish, local media reported.

The condition of the 7-month pregnant victim, who was admitted to a hospital with about 80 per cent burns, and the fetus is said to be 'very critical'.

Local media quoted the victim’s family as saying that the young woman's mother-in-law had asked the victim to clean the fish. A heated argument followed when the woman said that she was not good at it and her husband interjected and sided with his mother. In a fit of rage, the mother-in-law and her husband poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.

The horrific crime sparked outrage on Iraqi social media, with most of them calling on authorities to take strict action against the culprits. Following the incident, the victim’s husband was arrested, but his mother is still at large.

According to figures from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior for 2021, which were cited by “Sky News,” there were 873 reported incidences of domestic violence, with 786 of them involving abuse against women and 87 involving violence against children.