Saudi Gazette translates this report from the Arabic daily Okaz. The story of two girls trying to get their forced marriages overturned highlights a lingering problem in Saudi jurisprudence: if a defendant simply chooses to not go to court, the trial is delayed. In most countries, this would lead to a verdict with the defendant losing by default. In its reformation of its legal system, the Saudi government needs to come up with some enforcement process to ensure that cases move through the courts promptly. Simply refusing to take a case seriously should not lead to results favorable to the ones scorning the law. In cases like this, even delay works against the plaintiffs, here young girls.

Divorce case of 2 minor girls put off indefinitely
Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeei and Suha Al-Orabi

TAIF – The Shariah Court here has indefinitely adjourned the case of two minors, Sheikha and Abeer, seeking divorce from their septuagenarian husbands.

The judge made the decision on Tuesday after the husbands did not show up.

Sheikha’s father had married her off to Abeer’s father in exchange for marriage to Abeer.

The judge, however ordered a police case against the two men.

The mothers of Sheikha and Abeer, from Afeef and Al-Ula respectively, had moved the court on the grounds that the marriage contracts were signed without the brides’ consent and also because exchange marriage (Al-Shighaar) is impermissible in Islam.

The mothers had also appealed to the Governorate to intervene.

Sheikha had tried to commit suicide by drinking Clorox but she was rescued and transferred from King
Faisal Hospital in Taif to the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center in the same city, where Abeer had been admitted earlier. – Okaz