Child allegedly tortured by father died in Riyadh

A 5-year-old girl died after "all sorts of torture" by her father, a religious scholar, his ex-wife, the child's mother, told authorities in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi girl, named Lamaa, died last week in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Riyadh and a medical report indicated she had been tortured with whips and electric shocks, al-Arabiya reported. The mother, whose name was not published, told the pan-Arab network her daughter's injuries included broken arms and a skull fracture. "He used all sorts of torture and abuse against Lamaa," she said. The mother declined to reveal the name of the father but described him as a "prominent" religious scholar who preaches on satellite television channels. She said he "chuckled" when she asked him why he tortured their daughter. The Saudi website Emirates 24/7 said the father was being held, but did not specify his name or say if charges had been filed. Lamaa's mother said she want her ex-husband and his current wife to be charged with murder, the site said. The National Society for Human Rights in Riyadh said it has opened an investigation into the allegations. The mother told the network she was divorced and shared custody of the child. Two weeks ago, she said, the father took the girl but failed to return her. Later, the woman said, the public prosecutor in her region told her the child was hospitalized. "I was shocked and I could not believe what happened to Lamaa when I saw her, and I could not believe [there] is no mercy in people's hearts," Lamaa's mother said,