Four more arrested in Jeddah harassment case

Four more suspects, including three Saudis, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in harassing two girls at the Jeddah corniche recently, even as the custody of the other suspects was extended by 15 more days.

According to local media, the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution (BIPP) refused to release the youths who were arrested Monday, a day after a video clip showing the girls being harassed by the youths went viral on social media.

The owner of the bike rental shop will also be questioned, sources were quoted by local media as saying on Thursday, adding that the two girls who were harassed could also be questioned by the BIPP.

“Modern technology helped the security agencies in identifying the suspects. Everyone must respect the rules and regulations,” Col. Abdul Aziz bin Othman Al-Souli, director of Makkah police, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue revealed that over 85 percent of citizens believe that women’s behavior is the main reason for increasing cases of harassment.

Director of the public opinion polls at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, Faiz Shaflout said: “The study showed that 91 percent of participants aged above 18 years believe that the weakness of religious faith is one of the main reasons of sexual harassment, while 67 percent believe that a lack of tough law against harassment is leading to an increase in cases.”

The study also revealed that 85.5 percent of participants believe that women encourage men to harass them by wearing attractive clothes and using make-ups.