KIRKUK, Iraq - Kirkuk police have arrested a man accused of brutally torturing his two-year-old daughter, with a video of her lying in a hospital showing her in a critical condition going viral across the country.
Mayar Omer has sustained brain injuries and has been put in an intensive care section at the Kirkuk Azadi Hospital.
Initial medical reports have shown that Mayar's skull has fractured, causing internal brain bleeding, with multiple burn scars on her body.
"It turned out that there were skull fractures. She suffers from internal bleeding in her brain. Since she has been in critical condition and fallen unconscious, we decided to refer her to the intensive care unit," Dr. Balen Omer Hama Reza, head of the Kirkuk Azadi Hospital, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
Mayar also bears burn scars across her body, another indication that prompted police to apprehend the father while further investigations into the incident are underway by police.
Bring Gen. Kawa Gharib, general manager of Kirkuk police, told Rudaw on Tuesday that Mayar "has been hurt by her father and [step]mother."
"According to law and article 413, we have arrested the father of the child. We are at the initial stage of the investigation," he added.
The stepmother who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity from a hospital room, avoiding the camera, dismissed claims that Mayar has been tortured by them, claiming instead that the two-year-old had fallen off the ground herself.
"Has she committed a sin to be tortured like this? Has she committed a sin?" the stepmother told Rudaw. "If she was conscious, she would come and hug me. She used to hug me all the time."
Mayar will remain with the police until she recovers and her case is decided by the court.
Child abuse is a serious problem in Iraq.
According to a UNICEF report last year, “4 out of 5 children in Iraq experience violence at home or in school. Despite the decrease of hostilities in Iraq, the culture of violence continues and children heavily bear the brunt."
UNICEF said in August that it is working with government and non-government actors to promote child protection in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Mayar Omer has sustained brain injuries and has been put in an intensive care section at the Kirkuk Azadi Hospital.
Initial medical reports have shown that Mayar's skull has fractured, causing internal brain bleeding, with multiple burn scars on her body.
"It turned out that there were skull fractures. She suffers from internal bleeding in her brain. Since she has been in critical condition and fallen unconscious, we decided to refer her to the intensive care unit," Dr. Balen Omer Hama Reza, head of the Kirkuk Azadi Hospital, told Rudaw on Tuesday.
Mayar also bears burn scars across her body, another indication that prompted police to apprehend the father while further investigations into the incident are underway by police.
Bring Gen. Kawa Gharib, general manager of Kirkuk police, told Rudaw on Tuesday that Mayar "has been hurt by her father and [step]mother."
"According to law and article 413, we have arrested the father of the child. We are at the initial stage of the investigation," he added.
The stepmother who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity from a hospital room, avoiding the camera, dismissed claims that Mayar has been tortured by them, claiming instead that the two-year-old had fallen off the ground herself.
"Has she committed a sin to be tortured like this? Has she committed a sin?" the stepmother told Rudaw. "If she was conscious, she would come and hug me. She used to hug me all the time."
Mayar will remain with the police until she recovers and her case is decided by the court.
Child abuse is a serious problem in Iraq.
According to a UNICEF report last year, “4 out of 5 children in Iraq experience violence at home or in school. Despite the decrease of hostilities in Iraq, the culture of violence continues and children heavily bear the brunt."
UNICEF said in August that it is working with government and non-government actors to promote child protection in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment