Arab News reports that the various helplines set up by Saudi government offices aren’t very much help. I think that this is largely due to the misunderstanding of just what the helplines offer, though a lot, of course, has to do with the nature of bureaucracy.

Saudi helplines are not designed to deal with crisis intervention. If someone calls in to report a case of domestic violence, for example, the helpline will not be able to send police or ambulances to the scene. Rather, they serve more of a monitoring function, keeping track of incidents and working them (slowly) through government offices.

Part of the disconnect between expectation and reality might come from overselling the helplines; part of it may come from the user’s expectation derived from watching TV programs set in other countries and thus with other laws and social structures. Pare, surely, is the result of offices which promise 24-hour coverage only being open during business hours, though.

I suggest that this argues, again, for codification of laws. If a law states, in black and white, that a spouse cannot batter another, then there is something clear-cut for police to act upon. A policeman does not need to wait for a superior officer to determine whether something merits attention. The law would make it clear that attention is required and what the results might be.

It’s painfully true, too, that Saudi Arabia needs more shelters, with immediate access, for the victims of domestic violence. They should have a liberal acceptance policy, taking as true the complainant’s story at least until matters can be further investigated. Women and children, Saudi or non-Saudi, need more protection than they currently receive.

Helplines fail to provide assistance
Fatima Sidiya | Arab News

JEDDAH: Victims of domestic violence are finding telephone helplines are hardly of any use. Callers who do manage to get through are often referred to organizations that are limited in the help they can provide.

Helplines are offered by rights organizations, Himaya, a charitable body run by the Ministry of Social Affairs, and its protection committees across the Kingdom. There are 15 numbers that victims can dial when needing help.

The most used is the 1919 number, a 24-hour helpline. There are also regional numbers — both landlines and fax numbers — that one can use. However, most of these numbers, in spite of advertising a round-the-clock service, only operate during working hours.

A victim of domestic violence told Arab News she is disappointed at the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), which she said was unable to protect her from her abusive husband. The victim, who is based in the southern region, said: “It took me three days to reach them. Each time I would call, they would tell me to call later. When they answered they told me that they are a monitoring body and not an executive body, and that they can’t provide me with security.” The woman, who asked her name not be published, said an employee told her that if she asks for divorce then she would be transferred to the Reconciliation Committee, and if she demands a shelter then she would be referred to a government-run women’s shelter. “I need protection from my husband who abuses me physically and emotionally, and nothing more,” she added.
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